Promises
by Mysterous951
Summary: As five years flew by, Evie realized her wedding was a bit hasty. Henry and Evie mutually separated and she returned to London, hoping to patch things up with her dear young brother, but she did not receive a warm welcome. As the days pass after her return, she built up courage to build their relationship back together. During the process, she finds out the reasons of his coldness.
1. Encounter

It was Evie and Jacobs twenty-fifth birthday and they continued to celebrate it separately as they parted ways five years ago. Both were a bit distraught by their way of departure, but what was done, was done. Their years spent together as siblings had it's ups and downs, of course, but once Evie betrothed another without any information given to Jacob, he distanced himself from her ever since. The last time he gave any contact toward her was on her wedding day. He attended her wedding for her sake, but his demeanor towards her was sharp and cold like a dagger being plunged through her chest. Jacob tried his best to accept her marriage, but something inside him ticked to the point of where he just walked away after her wedding and never said his good-byes to her when she moved to India with Henry.

 _ **1872**_

 _ **Fall**_

It was a crisp early morning when Evie arrived back to London to continue her research, reunite with her allies, and hoping to revitalize with her brother as well after being apart for over five years. She breathed in the fresh wintry air, admiring the fall season reaching its course of return as she stepped outside, soon letting out a deep sigh. She missed the smell of London. The fresh smell of grass covered with dew. The musk of the pigmented bark on the trees as the leaves freed themselves by the support of the brisk wind. The strong scent of smoke whenever a train passed by. Everything there made Evie feel like she was finally at home. Or at least close to it.

Home- it wasn't the train, nor the bed, nor even the place itself in general. It was her brother. Her last living relative she has missed for several years. She was homesick and her haste marriage with Henry was not as keen of an idea as she had hoped. After looking back at that day, she didn't regret a single bit of matrimony. The only thing she did regret was not put effort into patching things up with her brother before their leave. Another sigh escaped her lips before she tried to recover herself from her slight depression. Evie put full focus into freerunning so she could see if everything was still the same or if anything new has arised.

"I hope he's still here..."

She whispered to herself, scoping out the area with her eagle vision. Evie didn't see anyone freerunning from building to building so she ran from town to town, keeping her eye out for the train she prayed was still moving. As she searched the area around London she spotted an assault happening below her. She put her hood on and swooped down and slit the persons throat with her blade before anything happened to the pedestrian. The young adult looked at the citizen, lying on the ground in fear. Evie glimpsed over with peacefulness in her eyes as a faint grin crossed her face before jumping back onto the rooftop.

"I did not expect there to be another assassin around these neck of the woods." Someone chuckled from behind, approaching with a sound of slight annoyance, "Well, no matter. The deed is done, so I'll admit I should thank you for getting that pest out of the way."

"Hm?" Evie tensed a little by the familiar sound in the man's voice, her hood still on as she turned to look.

"Anyway, I'll be off. Catch you around if you plan to stay in town." A scoff escaped the man's lips, "Have a _pleasantry_ of a day young lad or lass." He turned, waving as he began to run to jump to the next building.

"Wait!" Evie ran to the man and grabbed his wrist before he jumped to the next construction.

"Mind if I ask you to remove your hand?" The man turned his heels, a perplexed look in his bay colored eyes that bore into hers, "Wait a tick..." His eyes narrowed, trying to take a closer look.

"It's me, brother." Evie removed her hood.

"Well, I'll be damned..." A faint laugh left his lips, "If it isn't my eldest sister. Quite an interesting way to reunite with someone I hoped to not have ran into again." His look became dark after realizing who it was, "What a grand fucking day. Why the hell are you back here? Shouldn't you be with your loving husband in India?"

Evie loosened her grip slowly, soon releasing his wrist completely. It felt as though her heart has stopped. The young woman knew this shouldn't surprise her seeing as to how they haven't spoken for over five years, but she didn't expect this blow to feel so harsh. She was at a loss for words to that kind of remark towards her the very first day she has returned. Evie breathed in deeply and exhaled slowly to recompose herself so she could respond.

The young woman looked down, trying to think of what to say, but she couldn't think of anything as the cruelness in his words and the sharpness of his tone struck her harder than she ever expected. She closed her eyes and tried to process her next few words. Evie didn't want to bring up the topic she has always wanted to dodge, but she felt that was the only thing she could begin with to match with his remark. The young brunette evened out her breathing so she could think straight and calm her pounding heart before speaking.

"We... We separated last fall... and worked together for a year before I returned here." Evie looked back up at Jacob, her sky blue eyes peering into his dark amber colored ones.

"I beg your pardon...?" Jacob peered at her with disbelief, "What the bloody hell happened between you two? You two seemed so _cheery_ I almost gagged from the radiant look you kept giving him."

"It was a mistake..." The young woman looked down, gripping her chest.

"Yes, quite a vast oversight for you to throw away your freedom _and_ for returning, to be honest." The man glared, "If you came for business, then continue on your journey to find the _shroud of eden_ , but don't expect a warm welcome from me and stay out of my way of work. I already have enough on my plate..."

Jacob passed Evie and began to run until she grabbed him again by impulse. She gripped on his hand tightly, barely having the will to look up at him as she tried to hold in her tears. The young woman breathed in deeply and exhaled slowly to calm her nerves before beginning to speak. She didn't know how to begin. The young man tried to jerk away, but she kept a tight grip on him even though her energy to hold him tightly began to drain slowly by the punctured wounds caused by the words she felt were severe. Evie opened her mouth slowly, trying to find the right words to say to him, but nothing crossed her mind. She didn't know what words were right. She just stood there with her mouth gaped slightly opened.

 _What in the world could I say to this man to make him stay...?_ She questioned herself, _What did I ever do to turn him into... into this?_

"I'm sorry, dear brother..." She began, "I'm sorry my promises could not be kept... I'm sorry I left you alone here..." Evie tried her damnedest to hold in her tears as tight as she could, but after each word, tears began to stream down her face, blinding her to where she could no longer see that deathly glare of his, "I'm sorry for everything, brother... I'm sorry..." She released his hand and bolted.

After seeing the look of sadness in his sisters eyes and the tears sliding down her pale freckled cheeks, he fell weak, soon trying to reach out to stop her, "Wait!" Jacob held out his hand, wanting to run after her, but his feet stayed planted in place, "Damn it all to hell..." His hands clenched tightly into fists as he growled with frustration, redness soon covering his skin as he closed his eyes tightly, regretting every word he said to her from the day of her wedding to this very day, "Fuck!" He tore himself from the ground and chased after her within a matter seconds.


	2. Admiration

_**Five years ago...**_

"You would not believe what I came across this time, Evie!" Jacob swung down from the roof of the train, entering the caboose with enthusiasm, "Evie...?"

The adolescent questioned, trying to get his sisters attention. Jacob was bewildered by his sisters look of daze. It appeared as though something struck her to where everything around her was inconspicuous to her. He waved his hand in front of her face. He called out her name. He even pushed her. Nothing. It made him think she was in somewhat of a trance that he tried to think of ways to try and get her out of it. Within a matter of minutes he ended up going to the last resort.

"Sorry, sister dearest." He chuckled lightly, an evil grin gliding across his face as he ended up grabbing an ice cube from his water glass and slid it down the back of her shirt.

"Ah! C-Cold! Cold! What the bloody hell did you do that for, Jacob?!" Evie screeched, jittering around, trying to shake the ice cube down, "Really? Did you really have to go to such low lengths to grab my attention like this?" The young woman glared, picking up the ice cube and throwing it at him.

"You weren't responding to me when I was calling your name." Jacob chuckled as he dodged, "You were just ogling, who I assume was Henry?" A smirk came across his face.

Evie didn't confirm nor deny on Jacob's observation, she just simply stood there, trying to stay calm and collected after hearing that man's name. She failed at trying. Her pale freckled cheeks became as red as a rose. Her heart began to pound out of her chest. Her whole body became hot from her feet, rising its way to the very top of her head. The adolescent felt embarrassment take full control of her.

"I presume my assumption is correct?" His smirk never left his face, "I will admit, it's quite odd of you to be daydreaming of a man when you usually stay so focused on your- what is that...?"

As Jacob was beginning to tease her, he looked down at her hand, noticing something shimmering on her finger. Her ring finger to be exact. He was in disbelief of what he saw that his mind drew a complete blank. Jacob would normally mock her, but he stood there as silent as a lamb. Evie looked up at him, bewildered by his silence. Slight concerns came across her to where it ended up being her turn to wake him up, but he spoke before she called out his name or nudged him.

"When...?" Jacob muttered, barely able to think of anything to say as his eyes stayed glued to the diamond ring.

"Hm?" She finally noticed on what he was staring at and she quickly shielded the ring that was glimmering, "It's... it's not..." The young woman had the slightest clue on what to say, "It's... well..."

"Please tell me that's not an engagement ring, dear sister of mine." His look of amusement fell to a look of seriousness as his eyes soon looked at hers with knitted brows.

Evie looked down, hiding her flushed face, "And if it was, would it really matter?" She muttered, fumbling with the ring nervously.

"As a matter of fact, yes! It would!" His voice began to rise as though a sign of bothersome, "When did this occur?"

Evie was speechless. She's never seen her brother be so bothered about well, anything at all when it involved relationships with others throughout their entire life. All Jacob ever did was tease her to his hearts content whenever he saw her with another boy to where she always got infuriated by his childishness. Though this was a complete shift change to her which ended up throwing her off guard.

"Evie!" Jacob growled.

 _ **Present Time...**_

"Evie!" Jacob continued to shout out her name, trying to stop her.

She didn't stop. She didn't turn. She didn't answer. All Evie could do was run away. The young woman couldn't understand the reason of her quick change in emotions. She's always had a hard shell whenever it included her brother. The young woman never wanted to show weakness towards her brother, so she questioned herself why now? Evie wanted to stop, but her body wouldn't let her. She kept running until Jacob finally caught her by pinning her against the wall and grabbing hold of the grappling hook before she could even reach the button.

"Goodness... you've certainly improved on your running skills." Jacob tried to catch his breath as he rested his head on her shoulder.

Evie jolted for a moment when his head landed on her shoulder and his husky voice whispered into her ear unintentionally. She stood there silently, trying to take the reins from her emotions so she could act like her normal self. The young woman still didn't understand the issue they had amongst one another, all she knew was their bond was nothing like before. She noticed it tore into pieces and she wanted to figure out why.

"Why are you being so cold to me, brother? What did I ever do to you to make you turn so cold towards me?" She turned, looking up at him with frustration.

Jacob looked at her, noticing tears were still sliding down her cheeks. He looked at her ocean blue eyes, sighing deeply as he wiped away the tears with his thumbs while cupping her cheeks. Evie flinched once his hands landed on her face gently, but she didn't push him away. She just stood there. The young man's hands were calloused from what she assumed was by his usual routine around London, but it felt as though they were soft to the touch on her skin. A faint grin crossed his face that looked as though he was soon filled with pain. Jacob looked down, not knowing how to respond to that question. The one question he couldn't even figure out. Jacob looked back at Evie, stricken by a feeling he was hoping wouldn't ignite back up.

 _Why did she have to return?_ The young man questioned himself, trying to keep himself together.

"Jacob?" Evie placed her hand on his, looking up at him with sadness appearing on her face, waiting for her question to be answered.

He shied away, "You wouldn't believe me nor understand even if I gave you my reasons." Jacob let go of Evie as he backed away from her, looking back at her with a look of frustration, "You wouldn't understand a damn thing..." Jacob clenched his hands tightly, letting out a deep sigh before returning to his usual self, "Sod it... sod it all, Evie." He placed a fake grin on his face as though nothing was bothering him.

"Jacob! Stop this non-sense!" Evie's voice rose out of irritation, "There has clearly been something bothering you! I've noticed ever since that day you saw that ring!"

"I do not need to be reminded of that day!" Jacob soon scowled after that statement.

"Oh? So it is that ring, is it not?" Evie chuckled with disbelief.

"Evie, don't be ridiculous." Jacob tried to stay calm, falling straight into denial.

"Then what is it thats led you away from me?" Evie faltered, "Why did you become so distant? What did I ever do to you? I tried finding you to straighten things out before I left, but you..." The young woman fell silent, unable to bring up the day he began avoiding her.

 _Well, you obviously didn't try hard enough._ He scoffed to himself, looking away.

"As I've stated before dear sister, _sod it_. What happened in the past should just stay in the past." He chuckled faintly, locking his eyes with hers.

Frustration grew inside Evie to the point of leading her to resignation. She didn't want to push things any further than they already were, but she still kept in mind to ask again in the near future. The young woman tried to stay calm and collected as she let out a deep sigh, looking down with a feeling of weakness surpassing her. She looked back up at him, smiling faintly.

Stop looking at me with those beautifully saddened eyes... Jacob groaned lightly so only he could hear as he looked away from her.

" _Sod it_ , huh...?" Evie chuckled, shaking her head slowly with a scoff, "Fine, dear brother... Fine."

Awkwardness filled the air while they stood there in complete silence to a point of where you could hear a pin drop. They didn't know how to talk to each other. Ever since five years of separation between them passed by, they felt as though they were complete strangers. All they did was stare at each other for who knows how long. The silence finally broke when a man called out Jacob.

"There you are!" The man laughed, out of breath, "You need to head over to the ring remem- hm? Oh, who's this? Is this another one of your women you so ever sle-."

Jacob nudged the mans side, hard, "Ahem! What was it you were about to remind me of lad?" He turned, giving the man a forced grin, signalling to not go any further.

"O-Oh! R-Right! Um... Ah, yes! You have to head to the ring in Whitechapel. Remember? You have to fight the gangleader that took Roth's place." The man said, pointing the way as he began to run in the direction.

Jacob let out a long sigh of annoyance, "Sorry sis." He smirked, "I've got a place to be." The young man waved as he began to bolt.

Evie felt her chest tighten as she saw him run away. She knew it was unintentional and that he had his reason, but her mind made her worry as her emotions tagged along with it. As his distance grew, she remembered how painful it was when Jacob changed and the day he avoided her. It hurt, but she didn't know what she could've done and she still had the slightest clue on why he was so detached to her.

Once her head was finally cleared, she chose to run to the ring that her brother was running towards. Once she reached there, she slowed down, noticing Robert Topping. A huge grin crossed his face once seeing the other Frye twin that he ended up going in for a big hug. It surprised Evie, but a small grin appeared on her face as she returned the gesture.

"Well, if it isn't Ms. Frye. Or should I say, Mrs. Green?" He chuckled, releasing her.

"Ms. Frye, Mr. Topping." Her smile became slight when she corrected her marital status.

"Oh, my deep apologies, Ms. Frye." He cleared his throat, feeling discomfort begin to grow between them.

"It's not your fault, Mr. Topping." She laughed lightly, "It just... didn't go as we had hoped."

"Well, um... would you like to fight after your brother? Get a little frustration out?" He chuckled, beginning to feel awkward.

"Hm? Oh! I'd love to!" She grinned, realizing it's been awhile since she's practiced fighting.

When Evie moved to India, she didn't get much of a chance to fight nor assassinate as much as she expected. After she began living with Henry, her freedom came to a bit of a standstill. The young woman was expected to be a house wife, stay out of danger, and raise children. Something Evie never even thought of doing in her life whatsoever. She understood Henry's view and expectations when she married him, she just didn't understand why she let a man take control of her life.

"Ms. Frye?" Mr. Topping grabbed her attention, pointing towards the ring, "Want to see how much your brother has improved when you were away?"

"Hm? Oh! Of course." Evie grinned, looking in his direction.

Her heart suddenly leaped when seeing her brother take his shirt off. The after results of his appearance when he became shirtless made her stiffen as a board. His smooth skin. His well-built abs covered by his thin chest hair. His raven tattoo still appeared on his left shoulder. His strong and straight looking back as he turned to enter the ring. Everything suddenly made Evie shiver of what she was hoping was not by the cause of excitement.

She fell straight into denial with her emotions and tried to focus mainly on his skills. The young woman assumed his fighting skills were still rough around the edges, but once he began to fight, she was impressed. He dodged every hit. He hit every chance he received. Every one of his strikes and defenses were on point to where it made him look like he knew the persons every weakness. Once seeing Jacob deck the person, knocking him out on the ground, everyone clapped. Evie expected to see an arrogant man bow as if he saved the world, but she didn't. Jacob just wiped the sweat off his forehead and began to exit the ring, until he dodged a hit from behind.

"Christ... you guys again?" Jacob turned, noticing a group of men he assumed was from the man's gang, "I don't want to cause any trouble!" He dodged every man's hit, not even going for a chance to knock them out, "Be reasonable for Christ's sake!"

None of the men stopped and listened, they just continued to go after him. Jacob tried to confront the situation by trying to speak to them while they continued to strike at him. His patience was soon becoming thin, but he tried to keep a good grip on his anger as he kept reasoning with the men. There were no change in the results.

"Sorry fella's. This altercation ends now." A growl left Jacob's lips as he began to deck them, knocking each and every one of them out with a punch or a kick to the head and the chest, "I tried to reason with you men, but you didn't heed my warnings." A scoff escaped his lips, "Well, better have learned your lessons or else your next warning will become unsavoring to your _very_ last taste." Jacob smirked at the leader of the gang before leaving the ring.

"Dear Lord..." Evie's jaw dropped, "What in the world was that, Jacob?"

"What are you talking about?" Jacob questioned, confused of her reaction.

"You... you acted so... so humble out there." The young woman pointed out, "That is nothing like you at all, brother! What happened to you when I was away?"

 _If you were here, you would have known._ He responded in his head.

"Nothing of your concern, dear sister." He simpered, putting his shirt back on, "Well, thank you Mr. Topping for letting me settle things in your ring." Jacob chuckled, patting Mr. Topping's shoulder, "I'm looking forward to future matches. Until then..." He beamed before leaving the building.

"No. Thank _you_ , Jacob." He smiled, handing him a bag of money he earned from the fight, "Please do come back soon. Until then." Mr. Topping waved him good-bye.

"Wait! Jacob!" Evie ran after him.

"Ms. Frye! Didn't you say you wanted to give it a whirl?" Mr. Topping called out to her.

Evie halted in place, watching her brother leave. When she saw her brother open the door, she grabbed him again. Jacob turned, his brows knitted with a sign of irritation. It stung her a little, but she didn't let go. The young woman simply stared at him, a smile appearing on her face, leaving Jacob feel slightly uncomfortable.

"Well, eldest sister? Go. Fight to your hearts content." Jacob spoke, pointing towards the ring, "I bet you haven't fought in a long while." He chuckled, releasing himself from her, "Have fun, sister dearest. Until then..." He smirked, tipping his hat before turning to leave.

"Until then, dear brother..." She sighed deeply.

Evie fell silent, lost in thought of what has happened the passed five years when she was away. The young woman clenched the hand that held her brothers. Annoyance and confusion blending deep inside her as she looked down at her hand. She heard Mr. Topping call out to her, but she couldn't move. At least not for a few minutes. Once her emotions became neutral, she entered the ring to let out all the frustration shes had built up ever since she moved to India.

While she fought, she didn't notice Jacob hid behind the audience, watching her fighting skills. He's noticed they've improved somewhat, but assumed by the hits shes gotten in turn, shes become rusty. Jacob shook his head with a chuckle as slight disappointment crossed him. He wondered what happened to the strong woman he used to look up to. The young man knew everyone has different strengths, but as he grew up with her, she appeared the strongest. Her IQ was higher than his. Her ability was greater than his. Her strength matched his. Her continuation to increase each year they've spent together. Everything about her made her look as tough as iron. But as he examined her physical skills in defense, he questioned on what happened to the woman when she was in India.

The fight finally ended and Evie looked sore. When she exited the ring, she saw a towel appear in front of her. The young woman looked up, following the owner of the hand.

"Jacob..." Evie was in slight shock.

"Not bad, Evie." He smiled gingerly, "I see you're a bit rusty, but I know a woman like you can improve hastily." Jacob chuckled as he wiped her forehead and wrapped the towel around her neck.

"Thanks..." The young woman still couldn't believe her eyes nor ears as she saw him in front of her.

"Well, shall we drink to our winning fights?" He rubbed the back of his neck, the feeling of awkwardness creeping up on him.

"I'd... I'd really like that, brother." She smiled.

The twins left the building with their winning money, bidding farewell to Mr. Topping. They walked to the closest bar in silence. Both feeling uncomfortable, wanting this night to end. Once they reached the bar everyone there welcomed Jacob with a smile. It shocked Evie on how close he appeared to almost everyone there. Leaving her to question on what happened when she was away. The twins went straight to the bar to get a drink.

"Well, if it isn't Mr. Frye. It's been quite awhile since I've seen you around here." A young, beautiful girl in a dark blue, comfortable looking dress spoke behind the bar, exposing her pearly white teeth to the young man, "What's your poison? Whiskey or Rum?"

Evie felt an aura she was not pleased with when noticing her brothers eyes were glued on the bartenders. After seeing their eyes locked on each other, she felt an emotion shes never once felt before and she was certainly not pleased by that emotion, nor the way those two interacted amongst one another. That evening, she felt it was going to be a rollercoaster she was not looking forward to...


	3. Forced Grins

Evie was a little envious towards the woman who was practically eyeing her brother. Her beautifully fair skin. Her crystal ocean blue eyes. Her long, wavy dark brunette hair looking close to being jet black. Her curved figure as though she were a model. She looked as though she was the ideal woman for any man, including her brother. Evie's heart fell weak as though she were defeated just by the view of her brother gazing into that woman's eyes.

"Well, from the amount of shillings I received this evening, how about 3 shots of your strongest Whiskey?" Jacob laughed half-heartedly, "One for me, one for my eldest sister, and one for the most beautiful woman in this bar this evening?" He smirked at the young lass.

Evie's heart stung after hearing something like that come out of his mouth for some reason. She hadn't any idea of the reason, but she noticed she could barely handle it. The young woman groaned with discomfort as she just sat there, witnessing her brother flirting. Something she's never even really seen. Evie never knew he was such a smooth talker. Well, she did in a way, but she only saw him talk smoothly to get his way. The thought of his reasons kept wandering in her mind, wondering what he's wanting to gain from her. But alas, she resigned from it for the time being just so she could drink her feeling of misery away. The thought of the things that happened in the past was something she just wanted to wash away. Her feel of anxiety crawling under her skin, followed by depression was something she least expected to happen on her first day of return. Evie looked the other way, wanting to clear her throat to grab their attention, but she felt it wouldn't make much of a difference. She just sat there, awaiting to be served a drink. Evie looked over and continued to watch how much her brother has changed.

The woman blushed, looking away with a sudden giggle, "And who might the lucky woman be?"

He chuckled, signalling her to come close, whispering into her ear, "I happen to be looking at her right now. Would you care to join?"

Her face turned completely red with a bashful smile as she accepted his request. The young woman served three shot glasses and held up her glass with a huge grin. The bartender looked at the twins with a giddy grin on her face, trying to calm her racing heart as her eyes led back to Jacob's. Evie noticed there was something that continued to go on between the bartender and Jacob and it appears Evie didn't like one bit of it. A deep sigh escaped her lips, as she took the shot without waiting for them.

"Hit me." She smiled at the bartender, trying to hide her look of annoyance.

"Coming right up!" The woman smiled, serving her a second shot.

"Oh! My apologies on not introducing you two." Jacob chuckled, rubbing the back of his neck, just finally noticing he never introduced each other, "This is my eldest sister, Evie. Evie, meet Rose Moore."

"It's a pleasure to finally meet you, Ms. Frye." Rose grinned widely, "I've heard so many great things about you!"

"Oh, you have now, have you?" Evie placed a forced grin on her face, her irritation beginning to slowly rise, "Well, the pleasure is all mine, Ms. Moore."

"There's no need to be formal with me, Ms. Frye." She grinned.

"Then call me Evie." Evie replied.

Evie didn't quite comprehend on her reasons of suspicion towards Rose, but she just seemed off to her. Rose seemed too... lively for her own good. In a corrupted place like this, how could this woman be so optimistic? Evie questioned herself. Evie knew that her brother was keeping a good eye on London, but she never expected the success to improve so swiftly. The young woman sighed deeply as she took her fifth shot in under thirty minutes, beginning to get a little light headed. She forgot how much of a light-weight she is, but that was because she didn't want to admit it. At least not to her brother. Before Evie knew it, she ended up leaning towards Jacob resting her head on his shoulder, slowly drifting in and out of slumber.

"Hm?" Jacob flinched by the sudden touch from Evie, "Shit... Completely forgot this would happen." He shook his head with a faint chuckle, "Sorry, love. Appears I should escort my sister home. But I'll return later. Promise." He smirked at Rose before picking up his half-asleep sister into a bridal style stance.

"I hope she's going to be alright." Rose looked at her with concern, then back at Jacob with a faint grin, "I'll be waiting." She waved them off.

Jacob nodded with a small grin, then said his good-bye's to everyone as he walked out of the bar with his sister in his arms. A deep sigh escaped his lips as he looked down at his vulnerable looking sister. A groan of frustration left his lips as he tried to distract himself with the surroundings of the city, but it didn't help him. His eyes kept doing sideway glances at his sisters appearance. The look of innocence in her sleeping form. Her look of fierce differentiating into a look of calmness. He couldn't believe himself at all. He couldn't believe his mind nor even his heart on how it all changed completely once that day of proposal finally became real.

 _ **Five Years Ago...**_

The silence was deafening to the twins. Jacob never looked so inferiated in his life. He always had a calm demeanor and a teasingly, loving personality with a bit of cheek and sarcasm. Yes, there were times when he lost his temper, but he never looked like he became maddening. It feared Evie in a way that it led her to confusion. She couldn't comprehend with the instant change in characteristics. This man was not her brother, but she stood her ground to get her brother back to his orderly self.

"He... he proposed last night, brother..." She responded calmly.

"Oh-ho... So that's why you've been acting strangely lately..." He chuckled faintly, "Why did you accept such a proposal?" Jacob's look of anger developed into a look of anguish.

"Because..." Evie fell silent, unable to answer an obvious question, having to forcefully spit out the words, "Because I love this man..." She felt a sudden ache in her chest when she gave him that answer.

"Well, I guess all I have to say is... Congrats..." He chuckled faintly, looking down, cupping his chin, trying to make the smile of disbelief look joyful, "Congrats, Evie... Congrats..." Jacob turned brisk and jumped off the train, fleeing from something he wished was just a nightmare.

Evie wanted to go after Jacob, but she felt it would make no difference and the issue would just cause more farce. The young woman just stayed behind, hoping things will cool off when he returns. As three days passed, she knew something wrong was amidst them. Jacob hasn't returned since the night he found out about the engagement on his own. The young woman began to worry. She knew she didn't have to, seeing as to how Jacob could get out of anything on his own, but something inside her made her stomach churn by the cause of worrisome.

"Love...? Are you okay?" Henry questioned.

"Hm? Oh! I-I'm fine." She planted a fake smile across her face, "Everything's perfectly fine... l-love..." Evie looked away, pondering why she had difficulty calling her own fiance love, "I'm going to explore the area. I'll return early this evening." The young woman kissed Henry's cheek and waved before jumping off the train to go look for her brother.

The young woman tried to think of where her brother could possibly be. Evie went to every viewpoint. Every fighting ring. Every gang territories. Even every bar. Zero results. She couldn't find Jacob anywhere and it just made matters worst for her. It made her feel like she just lost a child. When the sun began to set, she ceded for the evening and returned to the train with a huff.

"Henry, I'm- There you are! For goodness sake, you made me worried sick!" Evie walked up to Jacob, about to prepare for a lecture.

"You're not my mother and I just came here to get some of my things... I'll be out for awhile, sister dearest." He spoke expressionlessly, passing by her.

"Jacob, stop this childishness!" Evie ran in front of him, blocking the exit, "Why are you avoiding me?"

Jacob could barely look at Evie, a piercing pain hitting deep inside his chest as he tried to respond, "I'm not being childish nor avoiding you, Evie. I'm just simply giving you two space." He plastered a fake grin on his face, trying to avoid conflict he could feel was obviously building up.

"I can tell just by the look in your eyes, something is bothering you!" Evie looked at him, irritation following behind her stress.

"Evie, stop being absurd." Jacob scoffed, "Everything is just fine between you and I. I promise you that." His grin never left, "I just feel you two should spend more time with each other. Is that wrong of me?" Jacob stared down at her, the smile still on his face.

"No... of course not..." Evie looked down, her heart becoming heavy by the piercing glare he had hidden behind those soft eyes.

"Good... have fun, sister dearest." He walked passed her, about to jump off, but was suddenly grabbed by Henry.

Evie looked up, noticing Henry talking to Jacob. It looked as though a fight was about to occur that Evie was about to walk over to stop it, but she came to a halt after seeing Jacob look at her with a faint grin after nodding to what Henry said. It left the young woman questioning on what Henry said to him, but she didn't want to cause any harm in this situation and just stayed back, leaving her brother be.

 _ **Present Time...**_

"Mmm... hm...?" Evie was slowly waking up from her little nap, feeling a sharp pain hit her temple, "Ugh... Wh-What's going on? What happened...?"

"I forgot how much of a light-weight you are." Jacob chuckled, "You should be careful next time, dear sister. Wouldn't want drinking be your way to die, would you?"

"Of course not! W-Wait... w-why am I in your arms?!" She began to struggle out of his hold.

"Stop being so troublesome and let me help you for once. Goodness..." He sighed deeply, slightly miffed by Evie's actions.

"For once...? What do you mean for once?" Evie stopped struggling.

"You always... you always left me on the side whenever I offered to assist you on things." Jacob began, "You always asked for father and George and... and then Henry..." He fell silent for a moment, then spoke again, "Anyway, sod it. Let me help you just this once." Another sigh escaped, "You over drank and from what was served to you, you wouldn't be able to walk steadily, nor have the ability to catch the train."

"The train is still going?" Evie sounded relieved.

"Of course, what in the world would make you think it would stop?" Jacob scoffed with slight disbelief.

"Well, seeing as to how you were left here, I thought it'd crash and burn like the time you assassinated Rupert Ferris." Evie responded, giving a snarky remark, crossing her arms as though she was throwing a little fit for surrendering.

"Oh, shut up..." He chuckled faintly, hiding his slightly flushed face, "You're lucky I'm not the type of man who would just drop and leave you."

Drop and leave me, huh...? She thought to herself, suddenly recalling the realization of the actual cause of Henry and her separating.

"Ugh... my damn... head..." She clenched her head.

"Tsk, tsk, tsk... The aftermath of over drinking, sweet sister of mine." Jacob laughed lightly, amused of the results, though feeling slight guilt for not keeping an eye on her.

"Oh, be quiet, little brother..." She scoffed, burying her head between his neck and shoulder, suddenly inhaling the sweet aroma from her brother, "Mmm..." Without even realizing, she snuggled up against him.

Jacob jolted by that sudden action, but he hid it well enough, trying to show he didn't notice her sudden affection. He felt awkward, but had no complaints, seeing as to how this is one secret he longed to do. As the walk to the train was longer than expected, Evie ended up going into a deep slumber, admiring the scent of her brother as he carried her back all the way to the train without a single fuss.

"Thank you... brother..." She whispered in her sleep.

"Heh... you're welcome... sis..." Jacob was pained by the words, but with her in his arms, he was satisfied enough to accept their positions in their classification.


	4. Longing

Jacob sighed deeply as he set Evie on her bed, tired from the walk. He had difficulty controlling his urge to touch her, but he fought back as best he could. The young man looked at Evie, admiring her look of innocence, soon tearing his eyes off her, walking out of the room. He headed to his room and took his top hat off, along with his coat. Jacob lied on his couch, looking up at the ceiling, trying to clear his mind, but ended up unsuccessful. He couldn't stop thinking of Evie and the things he long desired to do. He sat up quickly with irritation growing to where he bolted, jumping off the train and rushing back to the bar.

He wanted to just drink his problems away or at least distract himself with someone else. He felt guilt begin to join in once thinking of Rose. He had a liking to her, but not enough to feel anything more. Jacob wanted and desperately tried to force himself into finding interest in someone like he tried with Roth, but nothing worked. The young man even put effort into being with Rose, but he couldn't get the will to find interest in her, so he distanced himself soon after realizing the things he was doing was just the use of distraction for his own sake. He didn't want to be the type of man to toy with others, not unless the emotions were mutual, so he barely talked to Rose. Until now...

"Welcome back, Mr. Frye." Rose grinned from ear to ear, surprised to see Jacob rush in, "Quite a shocker to see you return so soon. What can I serve you this time?"

"How about your time?" He questioned with a smirk.

"P-Pardon...?" Her face became as red as a tomato when her mind began to fill with countless thoughts.

"If you're free after work, mind... taking a stroll with me? I'd love to escort you home for old times, seeing as to how it's been awhile since we've last chatted." He smiled with a faint chuckle.

Rose stood there, speechless. The glass she held in her hand almost slipped until Jacob took hold of it and set it down on the bar. His charming grin appeared as he stared deeply into the woman's beautiful azure eyes. Jacob stood there, feeling awkwardness fill the air as he awaited for an answer. It took several minutes for her to finally reply. An associates of hers had to nudge her in order to make her finally answer.

"I'd... I'd love to!" She grinned, "I'll be done in—oof!"

"She's done right now." Her best friend and co-worker said, taking the rag and pushing her out from behind the bar.

"What are you doing, Sarah?!" She whispered anxiously.

"Here's your chance to get him back!" Sarah responded.

"Don't be ridiculous! He has no interest in me nor love and you know that!" Rose exclaimed.

"It's been five years already and love happens when you least expect it and it happens only once in a lifetime. Remember?" She pointed out, "You of all people should know!"

Rose bit her bottom lip, her heart racing practically one hundred miles per second. She wanted to retaliate to what her friend pointed, but she had nothing else. The young woman did long to spend time with Jacob again, but she didn't have the courage to go after him. She wanted to support and comfort him for the things he was going through the passed five years, but she felt she wasn't good enough for this man. The man who had a heart of gold. The man who had the will power to save anyone or do anything that was dangerous just to support anyone in need. The man who had strength to face anything head on. The man who sacrificed a lot during the years. The young woman felt he could find someone better than her, so she didn't risk to go after him, but with what her friend pointed out, she wanted to give this opportunity a shot.

"Fine..." Rose said, her shoulders dropping.

"Hey... you can do this, Rose. I know you can win this mans heart at one point or another. Never give up or else someone else will take this opportunity right out from under you." Sarah helped Rose reposition her into a more confident stance, "Go get him while you still can. I'll be waiting to hear wedding bells." She pushed her off into Jacobs arms.

"Sarah!" She groaned before being pushed into Jacob, "S-Sorry... about... about that..." Rose could barely think once her nose inhaled the sweet aroma coming from Jacob, "My friend... she... um..." She could even barely look up at the man she fell head over heels for.

"No need to apologize, Ms. Moore." He chuckled faintly, placing his hands on her arms, suddenly caressing them softly and slowly, admiring the smoothness of her skin.

Rose finally looked up at the young man, her face still as red as a tomato, "Call me Rose." She smiled sheepishly.

After seeing the young woman's innocent grin, Jacob felt his heart skip a beat. The gentleness in her eyes. The beauty of her pale, pink lips curling up into a soft grin. The look of bashfulness. Everything that he noticed he missed suddenly warmed his cold heart that he thought would never be warm again. He knew his heart was still not healed, but the purity he saw in Rose, made him admire her in a way.

 _ **Five Years Ago...**_

"Keep them coming, barkeeper..." Jacob sighed deeply, slamming his fifth beer mug.

"Is everything alright, sir?" A young woman questioned with concern, cleaning a glass before serving Jacob his sixth drink.

Jacob sat there silently, fiddling with his thumbs before rubbing his chin as he tried to figure out how to respond to the woman. A chuckle left his lips as he looked down, shaking his head. He didn't know what to say, so he just spat out whatever his mouth wanted to say first.

"I'd be lying if I said yes." He gave a crooked smile to the young lass, a look of sadness in his eyes.

"Would you like to talk about it?" She questioned.

"Have you ever loved someone so much to where it just began to hurt at some point?" He clasped his hands together, looking at the woman.

The woman was dumbfounded for a moment, but only for a moment before looking at Jacob with a faint grin. She rested her hands on the bar and thought for a moment, looking away from him, trying to think of a polite, honest answer for her customer. The young woman sighed lightly and looked back at the young man, with a gentle grin.

"I'd like to say I have, but it hasn't come across me yet." She chuckled faintly, standing up straight, "I can understand your pain in a way, but my deep apologies, sir, I have not felt such pain quite yet."

Jacob scoffed lightly, "Well, I hope a beautiful woman like you would never have to go through such pain." He looked at her with a look of pain in his eyes as he tried to hide it with a genuine smile, "Anyway, thank you for your concerns. I should head off, I... have a wedding to attend to tomorrow. Let's hope this pain will end soon." Jacob chuckled a bit, paying for his drinks after chugging down his last mug, "Have a nice evening, Miss...?"

"Rose Moore." She smiled softly at him, "I'll be here any time if you need someone to talk to. Please keep that in mind."

"Thank you, Ms. Moore." Jacob placed his hat on and tipped it slightly before leaving the bar.

 _ **The Next Day...**_

Wedding bells rung once the bride and groom exited the church. Flower petals falling from the top of the building. Cheer, tears, and laughter leaving the guests. Everything was lively on Henry and Evie Greens wedding. Everything and everyone. Well, except one man... and that man being Jacob Frye. He placed forced grins on his face when speaking to other guests, but when his eyes looked at Evie, his stare became cold. The young man wanted to bolt and leave a scene that was too painful for him, but he promised Henry one thing as a gift and that being a dance with his sister, Evie.

"May I have this dance?" Jacob bowed, holding out his hand towards his sister, awaiting for an answer, hoping she would decline, but alas, she reached out.

"I'd love to, brother." She smiled gently, hiding her look of sorrow as she linked her hand with his.

They walked to the dance floor and waited a few seconds for the next song to begin. Once it began they danced smoothly across the dance floor thanks to their grandmother forcing them to take lessons. Jacob could barely look at Evie. It was difficult enough for him to even hold her in his arms as the dance continued. The young man wanted this to end quickly, but it felt as though there was no end to it. He glanced at Evie every now and again, but it just made his heart ache.

"Brother...?" Evie whispered, trying to look into Jacobs eyes that continuously wandered.

"Yes, sweet sister of mine?" He questioned with a meaningless growl, still giving no eye contact.

"Why are you still giving me the cold shoulder?" She mumbled.

"I'm not, sister dearest." He replied, "If I were, I wouldn't be attending this beautiful wedding of yours." He chuckled faintly, failing at hiding his sarcasm, "Why would it matter to you anyway if I did? Shouldn't you be focusing on your man today? It is something you longed for, is it not?" He finally looked at her, but with a dark glare in his eyes, trying to hide it with his usual fake grin.

Evie didn't know how to respond to that remark. The coldness in his eyes. The snarky remarks he hid behind his so-called compliments. It pained her to see her brother give such bitterness to her. She's never been through such negativity with her brother that it left her speechless. Evie had nothing to say. She felt she needed to say something, but she just didn't know what would help and she certainly did not want to cause a scene on such a tremendous day. Or so she tried to view it that way. The young woman looked away as did he, awaiting for the song to finally come to an end.

"Well... it was an honor to dance with you, Mrs. Green." Jacob grinned politely as though he viewed her as nothing, but a stranger, "I wish you both a happy future. Good day, Madam." He bowed before passing by her, leaving the wedding before anything regretful would arise.

Jacob felt a sharp pain in his chest as though a dagger was plunged straight into his heart as he walked away, as Evie felt just the same. They both feel they are going to regret the way things are ending, but neither gave in to fix something they both felt was slowly breaking. Their time together came to an end. Jacob wanted to forget everything as for Evie, she wanted to find a way to fix it, but she knew she wouldn't be able to even though she would have given everything up just to make amends with her younger brother. Evie did not want to lose him, but she felt she already did once he walked away without another word.

 _ **Present Time...**_

Jacob and Rose left the building, walking down the sidewalk in silence. Both were unable to bring up a topic. Discomfort began to fill the air that Rose was the first to give in to break the silence.

"So... Mr. Frye..." She began slowly.

"No need for formality, Rose." He chuckled, rubbing the back of his neck.

"Okay... Well, Jacob... What exactly made you return so soon?" She clasped her hands behind her back, glancing over at the young man.

He stopped in his tracks, beginning to question himself the same thing, "Well... it's been quite some time since we've last spoken, has it not?" Jacob then continued to walk.

"Yes, It has been, but... I can't exactly put it on the tip of my tongue, but... something seems off." Rose stopped and turned to him, "Is something the matter?"

Jacob stopped and turned towards her, placing his hands in his pockets, "Whatever do you mean?" He asked, bewildered.

"The only time you tend to come visit is when you feel troubled." She tilted her head, remembering the times he came to visit, "I understand drinking can wash away problems for the time being and talking to others can distract you from it, but... why me? There are several different bars to go to and several different women that would die to be with a man, such as yourself, but why do you always come to me?"

Jacob felt a sting in his chest as she asked, "Well..." He paused, clearing his throat, "I know there are several bars and women out there, but... your bar is the most comfortable and you're the only one that appears to understand me the most." Jacob scoffed lightly, "I don't understand it myself, but I do know, you are a woman I can surely trust." He smiled gently, "You are not the type to use others, nor go after those with looks, nor those with money, nor use things against them for your own personal gain. People can most definitely trust you. You're supportive. You're trustworthy. You're kind and sweet. You, my dear, are a rare gem any man would be lucky to call their own."

Rose placed her hand on her racing heart, barely able to say anything, having to forcefully spit out her question, "Really...?"

"Truly..." He gave a genuine grin to her, "You are—?!"

Before he could even complete his sentence, his lips were sealed with hers as her arms wrapped around the back of his neck, pulling him close to her. Jacob was in utter shock to where all he could do was stand there as the kiss began to deepen. He felt as though his heart was about to explode that he closed his eyes tightly, finding difficulty on where to place his hands. He enjoyed it, man did he enjoy it, but he couldn't tell if this was right or wrong seeing as to how things were difficult for him at the moment. He felt he should push her away for her sake, but his body ended up following suit with hers as their kiss became passionate.

Rose separated their lips, looking down, biting her bottom lip as though slight regret began to rise, "I— m-my deep apologies, Jacob, I—?!"

As she was about to apologize for her abrupt action, her lips were then sealed by his in turn. Within seconds, it felt as though everything around them didn't matter, completely ignoring the people passing by. Their kiss became intense to where their excitement built up little by little, escalating to the top of craving each other's touch. Longing for one another as it felt as though their sexual tension finally came to a close.


	5. Wait

Heavy breathing... Sweat dripping... Sweet aroma filling the air as the feeling of lust grew deeply within them. Rose couldn't believe how breath taking it was to kiss the man she longed for. The warmth of his cheeks and the roughness of his five o'clock shadow as she cupped his face. The feel of his soft, thick tongue taking control of hers as though he was devouring her. The firmness in his grasp on her as he pulled her in by her lower back with one hand and the other lifting her leg, pulling her up against him.

Their lips parted for a moment before reconnecting again within seconds, just craving each others taste and feel. As their kiss felt endless, Jacob pinned her against the closest wall, her legs wrapped right around his waist as her arms were wrapped around the back of his neck, neither of them stopping for breath. After several minutes of tongue ties and heavy breathing from excitement, they parted their lips once more. Jacob rested his forehead against hers, both of them calming their racing hearts as they paused for air.

"My apologies..." Jacob chuckled faintly, "This is usually nothing like me, Rose." The man looked at her with a look of slight embarrassment.

"I should be the one apologizing, Jacob." She giggled, her face turning red as she freed Jacob from her legs, standing tall, straightening out her dress, "This is certainly nothing like me either, but..." She paused, a little flustered to admit the truth.

"But...?" Jacob questioned, slightly concerned of possibly hearing the word regret leave her lips.

"But... I'm very..." Rose looked down, trying to rid the feel of embarrassment to complete her sentence, "I'm very glad my courage gave me strength to do something I have longed to do." She looked up at him with an amiable smile as her cheeks were covered by blush and her ocean blue eyes twinkled from the light of the moon radiating her beauty.

After hearing such words hes never expected to hear and viewing the sight of beauty he has never witnessed before, his stomach flipped and was filled with butterflies. He didn't understand himself because Evie still appeared in the back of his mind. The young man closed his eyes slowly with a pained grin, trying to erase the thought of his sister before opening his eyes to see the woman who obviously cared deeply for him. Jacob bit his bottom lip as the feeling of discomfort hovered over him, making him feel as though his heart was being torn in two by the cause of his bitter longing for Evie and his pure liking for Rose.

The young man grinned at the young lass before placing his lips softly on hers, "As am I, Ms. Rose." He spoke in a rasp tone as he was inches close, preparing to dive in for another passionate kiss, "As am I." Jacob held her in his arms as his lips met hers again, exploring each others mouths slowly and smoothly, loving every bit of it.

 _ **Meanwhile...**_

"Ugh... my aching head..." Evie woke up, clenching her head as she slowly got up, "Where's a water jug when you need one...?" She whispered to herself so her migraine wouldn't get any worse, looking around for a glass of water.

She didn't see any in her room so she continued to walk down from boxcar to boxcar until she reached her brothers room, seeing a nice, big, cold water jug on the desk near his bed. Evie scurried to it and poured herself a glass, chugging down the water, parched, as though she hasn't drank for days. The young woman sighed deeply, slowly feeling better, though still tired from the eventful day.

Evie sat down on her brother's bed, lost in deep thought, soon examining the room, seeing everything in the same spot as she last saw. A faint grin came across her face as she placed her hand on his bed, feeling both softness and firmness on his mattress. She could smell the scent of citrus left behind from the cologne she recalls getting for Jacob on their nineteenth birthday. The young woman was amazed he still had some left over and even continued placing it on himself after all these years of separation.

A deep sigh escaped as her eyes continued to wander. Evie noticed some things were added to his room. She never expected to see bookshelves in her brothers room. She never even imagined his room be filled with books. Alcohol, yes. Weapons, most definitely. But books... she never could see the day. The young woman laughed, wondering what has changed this man the passed years. She shook her head, clearing her mind as her eyes continued to look around.

Evie began to question herself if he ever received the letters she sent to him. As her eyes explored more of his room, searching for the letters she sent him, her eyes landed onto his desk, seeing piles of paper scattered, but no letters from her were found. While she continued to search, she chuckled lightly as she shook her head, thinking to herself on how her brother is still lacking on organization. She examined the whole room, putting her eagle vision to use, soon spotting something shimmering from the light, her eyes were led to a small book that had the name Jacob Frye written in the front.

"Oh? What might this be?" Evie questioned herself, opening the book mindlessly, "A journal...?" She felt guilt arrive once her eyes began to read the first page without any thought given.

 _July 17, 1866_

 _Things have been quite hectic lately. I never expected London to be filled with so many crimes. Evie and I have been forewarned several times, but of course, neither of us cared nor listened. As to be expected, the fights are tiresome, but most definitely worth it. Just to be able to see the innocent citizens smile and sigh with relief as we save each and every one of them that are in need brings a smile to our faces. Though from the different classes I see in these cities, I feel pained, but in time I know Evie and I will cleanse this place and make it a safe haven for everyone here._

 _July 18, 1866_

 _Today was like any other. Well... more or less. Evie had to clean up a mess I will admit I created, but I will never admit it to her face-_

Evie giggled to the thought of his facial expression as he wrote that.

 _I do feel bad whenever I make things more problematic for my eldest sister, but I just don't know how to plan things out as well as her. I do admire her willpower and intelligence which is what always continues to inspire me to improve on things. I do of course find it a bit boring. Alright... VERY boring, but I know in time my views will change just like Evies._

Evie skipped a little further in the book, her curiosity getting the best of her.

 _August 4, 1866_

 _It was quite heartbreaking today... I never expected to feel such sharpness in my chest before. It felt sharper than when I've gotten stabbed by a damn blighter. I find it quite odd of me to be in shock after finding out such news many would find magnificent. It never crossed my mind that feelings such as this would ever occur to me. I never knew the feel of love would be this painful. What a mockery of me to think of something so ridiculous as this. Sod it... Sod everything..._

"What the hell...?" Evie began to question herself, "Isn't that... the day he found out about the engagement?" The young woman spoke lowly with shock, "Please don't tell me..." She read further.

 _August 18, 1866_

 _Well... today's the day my nightmare becomes real. Quite a dreadful day I wish would never exist, but alas, not all wishes come true. What a fool I was to think I'd have a chance. A chance to win this womans heart. What in the world has turned me into such a despicable man? Why, oh, why did such feelings come admist? I guess it's time for me to attend a celebration I feel I'll regret attending. I will admit, I wish Henry didn't request me to attend, but for the things they've both done for me the passed years, how could I not? Well... time to let go of the woman I'll most definitely miss._

"That's the day I married Henry..." Evie gasped, her heart pounding from her sudden countless assumptions.

 _August 19, 1866_

 _I wish I had the courage to be upfront and honest with my sister like I did when we were kids, but... after seeing her in her most happy of days, how would I have been able to tell her my true feelings? I feel if I did, it would ruin everything... and that is something I dread to this day of ever happening. Seeing her beautiful eyes become watery or fierce. Her pale pink lips curling into a frown. Her pale skin turning even paler as though death warmed over her. That is a sight I would never want to witness in my life. So to be honest... even though regret will continue to weigh down on me, I feel the choices I have made were for the best. If not for me... then at least for my loving sister..._

Evie's heart became heavy after reading such words. The young woman felt as if a bail of hay fell right on top of her. She continued to the next day as her hands began to shake by displeasure and disbelief. As Evie was about to read the next page, she heard a familiar voice which made her jump, dropping the journal after hearing the voice head her way. The voice was closing in on her that she quickly shut the journal and set it back in place, preparing to run, not even noticing the journal fell to the floor by the cause of her coat. The young woman bolted towards the other side, unwilling to face her brother after reading his journal, but as she ran to the door she tripped over a rug. Evie panicked to where by impulse, she rolled under his bed, covering her lips, trying not to make a peep.

All Evie saw was her brothers boots near the bed. The young woman wanted to confront her brother on what she has read, but she didn't know how. While Evie was building up the courage to roll out from under his bed, thinking of an excuse before beginning a lecture, she stopped. She heard a woman's voice along with her brothers. A voice she was oh so familiar with. And that voice belonging to a woman Evie still found no fond of. A light groan left her lips by accident, but was not heard by the cause of unpleasant noises Evie did not like hearing.

"God how I wish I did this long ago..." Jacob spoke huskily in Rose's ear as he gently brushed her cheek with his.

"You and I both, Jacob." Rose giggled lightly, her eyes filled with lust as they stared deeply into each others eyes, their lips just barely apart.

Rose was straddling Jacob as he sat down on his bed. His lips planted on hers, slowly meeting her tongue with his as she grinded against him. Heat was arising both of them as their excitement continued to escalate. Their faces flushed by arousal as their hands traveled the others body, beginning to just rip each others clothes off, leaving only their under garments on.

Jacob was in a complete daze as his body took full control of his actions. His mind was a complete blank to where everything was a blur. The young man tasted every bit of Rose's mouth, faintly tasting the sweetness from one of her famous hard ciders. Jacob was intoxicated not just by the taste, but by the feel of this young woman before him. His lips slowly parting from hers, travelling along her jaw line, his tongue soon gliding down her bare neck, reaching the nape of it, his teeth gently clenching on her skin, making her moan lightly.

As the young man made trails of hickeys on her, showering her with kisses, one hand cradled her back while the other held onto her leg, placing her on his bed as he hovered over her. Their lips met again, increasing their feel of pleasure every second. Jacob's hands began to explore Rose's body, the straps of her chemise sliding down, hanging loosely, exposing her bare chest. The young man's lips trailed down to her breasts, nipping gently on one of her nipples with his lips, soon sucking on it, his tongue swirling around her perked up nipple, while one hand teased the other, leading Rose to arch back with a moan of pleasure. Jacob rose his head, looking at her with a look of longing before diving in for a deep and sensual kiss. His tongue breaking in between her lips, encountering her tongue, practically begging to taste the sweetness from her again.

Their body's grinding against each other rhythmically, Jacob's bulge continuously growing, begging to come out. Rose shivered with thrill as she felt his big, warm hands slide their way down her waist gently, slowly slipping her out of her under garments as his lips travelled behind them, exposing her whole body. He looked up at Rose with a smirk before he slid his tongue out, gently licking the slit before slithering his tongue inside her, gliding up between the lips, reaching her clit. Rose gripped onto the sheets as her eyes bolted shut, light gasps escaping her lips while arching back. The way Jacob licked Rose felt mind blowing to her as though he was craving every bit of her. The young woman gripped onto his hair, while grinding against his mouth. She craved him. She wanted to be devoured by this man. She longed to feel his touch that she pulled him up towards her, kissing him with full force as she wrapped one arm around the back of his neck while the other rested on his shoulder, pushing him gently for them to switch positions so she could straddle him again to grind against his big bulge that exposed his want to have her.

Jacob sat up, pulling her head towards him to kiss her again just to show how much he wanted her. They held each other close to where it looked as though they were glued to each other. Jacob trailed down to the nape of her neck, biting into it, blending the feel of both pain and pleasure. One hand slid slowly down between her breasts, passing her torso, instantly petting her gently with his fingers before sliding his long, index finger inside her, hitting her chambers, before adding another finger, expanding the lips for preparation. Rose gripped tightly onto his shoulders, digging her nails into his skin. Their minds both becoming completely blank as their body took full control of their actions, leading them both to the feeling of bliss.

 _ **Four Years Ago...**_

It has been a year since Evie left with Henry, leaving Jacob behind. The young man was no longer the same. He tried to distract himself with his gang which helped for a short time. His work which helped most times. His associates which kept him distracted easily. His allies which made his terrible days feel decent. His assassinations which helped him get rid of his anger. Alcohol which helped him forget most of the things hes wanting to forget, but only for a period of time. Gambling which distracted him for the time being. Fighting which increased his strength and released all of his frustration. He even went to brothels to get rid of his loneliness. And he even got to the point of where he began to read and write just so he could keep himself level headed which increased his intelligence and wisdom. It was certainly something he never once thought of doing in his life willingly. Hes kept his life busy with all of those things, but nothing helped, especially not the letters he received from his sister. He wanted to read them, but he knew in the back of his mind that it would just make matters worst for him. As time passed, he always ended his days at Rose's bar, just hoping to keep himself together.

"Another shot please... along with a glass of bourbon." Jacob sighed deeply, staring at the empty shot glass, lost in thought.

"Something on your mind you'd like to talk about, Mr. Frye?" Rose questioned, pouring him another shot, then pouring half a glass of whiskey, filled with concern.

"Hm? Oh... everything's fine, Ms. Moore." He looked up at her with a faint grin, trying to hide his pain, "Just another stressful day at work." He lied with a chuckle.

Rose stood there, staring at him with a look of disbelief, knowing flat out he was obviously lying, "There's no need to lie, Mr. Frye. I'm one that never exposes ones secrets." She placed her hand on his, looking at him with worry, "Please... at least rely on me for once so you don't strain yourself to the point of exhaustion." She gripped his hand tightly, begging him with the look of sorrow.

He stared up at her for a few seconds before looking down. Jacob didn't know where to start. His emotions were overflowing to the point of contrition. A deep sigh escaped his lips before he looked up, seeing a beautifully saddened woman before him who obviously cared for him a whole hell of a lot. His guilt grew as he noticed he was unintentionally spreading his feel of pain on to a woman who has helped him through his struggles the passed year. As he saw a tear leave one of Rose's eyes, sliding down her cheek, he stood up and locked his lips gently with hers. He backed away slowly, trying to process what just happened at that very moment. Rose stood there, speechless, as Jacob looked down, sliding his hand out from under hers.

"M-My deep apologies, Ms. Moore..." Jacob placed money on the bar, grabbed his top hat and covered his lips with one hand, "I... I should go..." He turned his heels and rushed out of the bar, climbing his way up the rooftop so he didn't have to deal with what he just caused.

After that small incident, he didn't return to her bar and avoided her as best he could. He drowned himself in work, books, and anything else that came into his life just to keep his mind off of both Rose and Evie. The thought of those two women kept getting in the way of his work to where he felt he should just up and leave London, but he couldn't. He couldn't leave his friends nor the people that always counted on him, so he beared the pain.

 _ **Present time...**_

"W-Wait... wait, wait, wait..." Rose gently pushed him away, separating their lips, "We... We shouldn't..."

"P-Pardon...?" Jacob questioned, perplexed by the sudden halt, "Did I do something wrong...? May I ask the reason for you wanting to stop?" He held onto her arms gently, surprised and concerned from what just happened.

"N-No! No, no, no, no! You didn't do anything wrong! From what I just experienced, you are a God in bed!" Her face became flushed by embarrassment as she just noticed the words she spit out, tensing up while trying to move forward on the reason, clearing her throat, "It... It's just... since your sister has returned, I feel this is too much and too soon for you."

Jacob tried to stop himself from blushing as he tried to erase the compliment Rose gave him so he could focus on her reason, "You think I'm a God in bed?" But he failed.

"Jacob!" Rose gently hit his shoulder, covering her reddened face, "That's not the point!"

"S-Sorry, sorry..." He chuckled, rubbing the back of his head, "I just... never expected to hear that since all we've done is fore-"

"Jacob! Really?!" Rose's face became hot as he continued on about the compliment.

"R-Right! S-Sorry, sorry..." Jacob held up his hands, surrendering, "But... why would it matter that my sister has returned?"

"Jacob... just by the way I've seen your sister look at you and the times we've spent together before she's returned, there is clearly some unresolved tension going on between you two." Rose began, "And... I don't want to get in the way of whatever is going on in your life. I don't want to make matters worst for you." She sighed deeply, "I'll wait for you as long as it takes. So please... clear things up so you don't suffer anymore..." The young woman looked into his eyes gently, covering her pain with a small grin as she cupped his cheeks, "I want to see that same charming smile I saw when you first arrived at my bar. I want to see those same gentle eyes. I want to hear that joyful laughter. I want to see the real Jacob Frye I fell in love with years ago."

"Y-You fell in love-"

She silenced him by placing her index finger on his lips, "Please... just keep in mind I'm always here for you whenever you're in need of help." Rose smiled gently, "And please remember, no matter what happens... my love for you will still be lit even if we go our separate ways at one point or another."

Jacob felt a twinge in his heart once she said that. He didn't know what to say, so all he did was nod and smiled faintly at the young lass. Rose kissed his forehead gently before standing to get dressed. Jacob stared at her, admiring her figure as his face became hot by the sight of her. As her kindness warmed his heart, his feelings towards her began to slowly grow. While those feelings grew slowly, the other part of him pulled those feelings back, tucking them away. Jacob was irritated by the mixed emotions that at that moment, he knew what he had to do...

 _ **Meanwhile...**_

From what Evie just overheard, she closed her eyes tightly, tears running down her face as she covered her mouth, holding in her whimpering. She was awaiting for the train to stop so Jacob and Rose would leave the room to give Evie the chance to slip out of the room, fleeing the scene she wished she never witnessed...


	6. Confession

As everything settled down. Their excitement to be exact. They talked for a bit until the train came to a complete stop. The two young adults felt a bit of a distance between each other, which saddened them in a way, but both understood the reason. A deep sigh escaped both of their lips before they stood to get off the train.

"Thank you for understanding." Rose looked up at Jacob sheepishly, "And... I'm sorry for starting something and stopping midway..." She chuckled faintly, her face becoming hot by the rememberance of what occurred not that long ago as she placed strands of her hair behind her ear, looking down.

"No need for apologies, Rose." He smiled faintly, "I should actually be the one thanking you." Jacob chuckled, rubbing the back of his head, hiding his look of embarrassment, "Thank you for realizing something I kept turning a blind eye on..." He looked down, sighing lightly, "I... I just never understood my reasoning of discomfort with my sister until just recently... and with your statement, I think you're right..." He looked at her with gentle eyes, smiling softly, "I'll put effort into resolving the issue my sister and I appear to have before it worsens. Thank you..." Jacob kissed Rose's cheek softly before waving her off.

"I'll see you when everything is settled. Until then..." She smiled, waving good-bye.

"Indeed. Until then..." Jacob sighed deeply, watching Rose walk away until she slowly disappeared in the distance, "She's right..." He said to himself, clenching his hands tightly, preparing himself to come forward to Evie, "Hm...? Why is my journal on the floor...?" He questioned himself, shaking off the curiosity by placing it under his pile of papers.

Jacob was a little nervous so he went to the restroom to splash his face with water to wake himself up enough to be prepared for the worst. He sighed deeply, looking at himself in the mirror, feeling pathetic as ever. The young man dried himself with a towel, exiting the restroom walking down the boxcars.

Jacob walked towards Evie's room, slowly opening the door, checking to see if she was feeling any better. Once he walked in he noticed she was still asleep. A faint sigh left his lips before walking up to her quietly, placing her blanket up to her shoulders. He sat beside her, examining her sleeping face before looking away, thinking of how to clear things up with her. Jacob looked back at the sleeping Evie, suddenly noticing her face turned pale. Deep concern crossed him as he placed his hand on her forehead, feeling she was burning up. He panicked. The young man grabbed a rag and damped it with cold water, placing it gently on her head. As he did, he jolted after being grabbed by Evie.

"E-Evie... goodness, you scared me." Jacob chuckled, catching his breath, "Seeing as to how you're awake, I need to check your tempature and prepare you soup. Also, you need to-"

"Jacob... we need to talk..." Evie sat up, getting out from under her blanket, her hand still holding his.

Jacob sat there for a moment, dumbfounded by the sudden statement, "Yes, but after you feel better, Evie." He was about to get up until Evie pulled him back down, "Evie I need-"

Evie held up her hand, signalling him to stop talking, "Jacob... I'm not sick, I'm just... getting over a slight hangover." The young woman stated, "All I needed was water to rid this small migraine from my absurd amount of drinking. I'll be fine, Jacob." She chuckled lightly, looking away.

"Of course you do." Jacob shook his head with a snicker, "You always forget to take it easy when it comes to alcohol. Trying to show you have a high tolerance, when you most certainly do not." His snicker turned into a laugh, making Evie join in before they both fell silent.

"Also... I need to have a little chat with you about... us." She looked up at him with a look of seriousness, "And about Rose."

"Us...? And what does Rose have to do with this? Where are you getting at, Evie?" Jacob tensed up by the sudden words.

Evie sat there silently for a moment, looking at her shaking hands before looking up at her brother, "For starters, I'd like to ask if..."

"If...?" Jacob questioned.

"If you love her?" She looked up at him, trying to keep herself together.

"Her...? Whom are you talking about?" Jacob asked.

"You know exactly who I'm talking about!" Evie suddenly raised her voice.

"I'm sorry sister dearest, but no, I do not know who in the world you're talking about!" Jacob rose his voice right after, "Mind clarifying?"

"The woman at the bar! Rose Moore! Ring a bell?!" Evie looked at him slightly infuriated.

Jacob sat there, falling silent as he looked away, "I don't know my position with her, Evie." He mumbled, "But I will admit, there is no seriousness between us because of the position we happen to be in." He sighed faintly, "So no, Evie... I don't..." Jacob looked back up at her.

Not yet, at least... He thought to himself with a sigh of irritation.

"Okay..." Evie responded lowly, looking slightly relieved, though still recalling a scene she is trying to erase from her mind as she continued onward, "Now... I'd like to apologize to you about something I rarely ever do..." She stared at him, too nervous to continue.

"What must you apologize for, eldest sister?" Jacob tilted his head, curious.

"I... The reason I'm wanting to talk to you is not just because of the cold shoulder you've been giving me since the day of my wedding, but because of something I happen to have come across reading..." Evie fiddled with her fingers for a moment, looking down at her hands soon clasping together.

"Oh? And what was it you happened to have come across?" Jacob crossed his arms, an eyebrow raised as his eyes narrowed into suspicion, hiding his feel of nervousness.

"I... I happened to have read something I feel utterly sorry for intruding on." Evie looked up, her eyes saddening before slowly closing to build up courage to confess on what she has done.

"Evie, just come forward with it already! What is it that you have-"

"I read your journal!" She spat out, her heart racing furiously from her anxiousness.

"Excuse me...? Mind running that by me again, oh sister of mine?" Jacob froze as he asked.

"I... I read your journal..." Evie could barely look at him.

"Well... that explains how I found it on the floor earlier..." He chuckled faintly, shaking his head, "How far have you read, dearest sister?"

"I... I read up until... August nineteenth." She tucked her head slowly under, between her shoulders, trying to hide like a turtle as she prepared herself for a huge lecture from Jacob she never once expected to go through before in her life.

"Of what year...?" He growled, his teeth gritting from a blend of annoyance and embarrassment.

"Eighteen... sixty-six..." Evie mumbled.

"Christ... you have got to be joking me..." Jacob scoffed, stuck between the feeling of anger and embarrassment.

He stood up, his hands clenching tightly as his heart began to race. The young man didn't know how to react to what Evie just confessed. Jacob paced back and forth, trying to think of something to say, but nothing came to mind. He was flabbergasted by what he just heard. The young man covered his reddened face.

"Jacob, I'm sorry I-"

"Save it!" He shouted, "Well..." He chuckled with disbelief, "Seeing as to how the cat is out of the bag, I assume this clears everything up already." Jacob glared at Evie.

"No, it doesn't, Jacob!" Evie began, "It just leads me to wanting to ask more of the meaning of this!"

"Isn't it obvious already?!" Jacob yelled out, marching up to her, "You read my journal! It answers practically everything, Evie! What more do you need?!" He growled, leaning in towards her with a scowl.

Evie stiffened by the sudden closeness, barely able to breathe, putting effort into responding to his words, "It doesn't answer one of my questions..." She whispered, looking straight down, hiding her flustered face.

"Oh? And what exactly might that be, Evie? Hm?" He responded with a growl, practically right near her ear.

"When did this all start...?" Evie questioned, looking up.

Jacob's jaw tightened by the question. He remembered exactly when it all occurred, wanting to pretend he completely forgot, denying it ever happened, but he thought to himself on what the use of lying was for him seeing as to how Evie basically found evidence. He groaned with frustration as he closed his eyes tightly, turning away from Evie, hanging his head in shame while rubbing the back of his neck, resting his other hand against his waist. Evie waited for a response, her anxiousness increasing by the wait. Jacob turned and peered into Evies eyes as he opened his mouth slightly, trying to find the right words.

"It started..." Jacob covered his mouth with his hand, having difficulty continuing, "...It started ever since the very first time I saw you at your most vulnerable state."

Evie looked at him, not recalling ever becoming vulnerable in her life.

"Heh... of course you wouldn't recall such an eventful moment..." He scoffed, looking aside as he shook his head, covering his lips slightly, cupping his chin, "It happened when we were six about to turn seven..." Jacob began.

 _ **Nineteen years ago...**_

"Grandmother! We're home." Young Evie called out while entering their grandmother's home, "Grandmother...?"

"I bet she's just resting again." Young Jacob said, taking his hat off, placing it in his coat and kicking his boots off to the side.

Evie walked down the halls, leading to their grandmothers room. She wasn't there. Jacob went to the living room to see if she was resting on her rocking chair. She wasn't there either. They went to the kitchen, wondering if she was baking like she usually does when the children are out. She wasn't there either. They began to worry, hoping to at least find a note, but nothing. Evie went to the restroom, seeing if the door was closed. It was, meaning she would most likely be in there. She knocked, hoping their grandmother was there. No answer. Evie knocked again. Still no answer. The young lass knocked one more time. Still nothing.

"I'm going to open the door." Evie spoke aloud.

"Evie! It's rude to open the door when someone's using the restroom!" Jacob grabbed her arm, stopping her in her tracks.

"When did manners ever matter to you, Jacob?" Evie questioned with a scoff.

"I beg your pardon? I've always had manners—"

"Says the boy who leaves things around, burps at the table, practically proving his lack in table manners. Oh, and let's not forget the time you were a peeping Tom on—"

"Alright, alright... proceed... goodness..." Evie chuckled at his reaction.

Jacob released her and looked away, practically silently saying by expression, fair point... rubbing the back of his neck, hiding his flustered face after his sister reminded him the time he climbed a tree, accidentally seeing their next door neighbors wife get undressed. Evie chuckled, shaking her head after noticing her embarrassed brother. Once all her giggles were let out, she cleared her throat and opened the door slowly, peeking through the door that was ajar.

"Grandmother!" Once Evie opened the door she saw their grandmother lying on the floor near the sink.

Evie bolted and dropped to the floor, grabbing her, gently shaking her, hoping she would wake, but nothing... Evie placed her index and middle finger against their grandmothers wrist, hoping to feel a pulse, but there was no pulse... the kids were in utter shock as silence filled the air. Within a matter of seconds, Jacob bolted.

"I'm going to get a doctor!" He shouted as he left the house.

Evie sat there, their grandmother resting her head on Evie's lap. The young lass was shaking by the feel of horror crawling its way through her skin. She didn't want to believe the sight of their dead grandmother, hoping it was all just a horrible nightmare, but it sadly wasn't one. Evie didn't wake up. This moment was real. This horrifying moment led Evie to suddenly bawl without her even realizing it, automatically covering her face to hide her tears that kept overflowing to the point of where everything was blurry.

"The doctor is on his way, Evie—?!" Jacob froze by the sight of his eldest sister crying her eyes out, "Evie!" He ran towards her, wrapping his arms around her, placing one hand on the back of her head while the other wrapped around her back, holding her close, "It's okay Evie..." Jacob cradled Evie gently, trying to calm her down, not knowing what else to say, so he just let her cry in his arms.

"Jacob... why...?" Evie whimpered, burying her head in the nape of his neck, "She was doing just fine yesterday!" She muffled into his shoulder, trying to wipe away the tears that just continued to overflow.

"I know... I know, Evie..." Jacob spoke calmly and quietly, "This world... can be cruel sometimes, but... she's in..." Jacob had difficulty finishing his sentence, knowing it would hurt them more, but forcefully said it, "She'll be fine now..." is all he could end up saying.

Evie continued to bawl on his shoulder. Jacob held her tightly, showing she's not alone. A tear slid down his cheek, but he wiped it away quickly, trying to stay strong for his eldest sister even though he was feeling just as sad. He rocked her back and forth slowly, hoping it would help. By impulse he placed his lips on her head, pressing his lips gently on her hair, showing he's there for her and that he loves her.

Jacobs heart suddenly skipped a beat, leading him to place his hand on his chest for a quick moment, questioning himself on why that suddenly happened. He shook his head to clear it, ignoring the feeling just so he could put full focus on comforting Evie. Evie was the most important person at that moment. The young lad stroked her hair softly as she slowly fell asleep in his arms by exhaustion of crying. The doctor arrived and Jacob looked up at him, pointing out their grandmother. That was the time she passed away. As heart breaking as it was for Jacob to the point of wanting to cry with Evie, he stayed strong for the sake of her.

Once their grandmother was being carried out, Jacob stood up, putting all his might into holding Evie in his arms, carrying her to their bedroom. He set her down gently and fell to the floor, landing on his knees, sitting there, looking at Evie's sleeping form. She looked exhausted. As Jacob was about to get up to grab her some extra blankets, Evie pulled on his shirt, mumbling , please... don't go... in her sleep. Jacob jolted by the grab, but sighed lightly and barely placed a small smile on his face as he looked at his eldest sister. Some tears escaped her eyes, sliding down her cheeks. The young lad felt a piercing pain in his chest after seeing his saddened sister. He sat on her bedside, wiped the tears away softly as he began to stroke her hair gently.

"I'm here, Evie..." Jacob smiled faintly, "I'll always be here for you..."

He kissed her forehead gently, not even realizing until it happened. His face suddenly became flushed as he looked away, wondering to himself on why he did that. He peeked over at Evie and noticed a warm smile slowly cross her face as she snuggled up to him in her sleep. Jacob felt an odd feeling inside his chest, but brushed it off as he lied beside her, continuing to comfort her as, he too, drifted off into a deep slumber with her in his arms.

 _ **Present Time...**_

The room was silent that all you could hear was the train engines and the items rattling. Jacob looked away, scratching the back of his head, trying to make himself less uncomfortable, but failing, of course. Evie stared at her hands that clenched each other tightly, burying them between her legs. The silence was so painful to where Jacob gave in and broke it.

"That's... that's when it started..." He mumbled.

Evie looked over at him, signaling him to sit down beside her, beginning to question, "Do... do you still do...?"

"Do... What?" Jacob questioned, a little lost.

"Still... love me in that kind of way..." she looked at him blankly, trying to calm her pounding heart as she waited for an answer.

Jacob was silent for several seconds before gathering up all the courage he had to look over at Evie. Once his eyes met hers, he closed his eyes slowly. He tried to control his racing heart that was beginning to become heavy as he took a deep breath, exhaling slowly. As he became a little calmer, his jaw tightened as he nodded his head slowly, having his heart answer for him. Jacob kept his eyes shut tightly, awaiting for a lecture to begin, but it didn't. What happened was something he least expected and that being a feeling of soft lips brushing gently against his. His eyes fluttered open by the feel, throwing him completely off guard when he saw Evie's face become pink as she backed away slowly.

He felt as though his heart stopped by the sudden feel. Jacob was in utter shock. The young man was wondering if this was a dream. He didn't know how he should feel after that sudden kiss. Shocked because it was Evie? Happy because it felt as though their feelings were mutual? Shameful since it was his sister? Less than a second later, he leaned towards her, placing his lips gently on hers before opening his lips ever so slightly to deepen it, throwing those questions and his moral out the window as his dreams of longing for her touch became real.

Evie was just as shocked, but she didn't push him away. She was lost and wondering why this is happening? Why she kissed him? Why she's letting him kiss her? But she ended up doing the same, throwing everything out the window, just focusing on the kiss that felt endless.

Evie rested one of her hands on Jacobs cheek, while she wrapped her arm around the back of his neck, pulling him closer to her. Jacob leaned in, lying her down, putting his weight lightly on her as he placed one hand on the back of her neck while placing his arm around her lower back. The young man ended up lying on top of her, resting one arm on her bed as his other hand slid its way down lower, passing her butt, holding onto her upper thigh, pulling her up against him. Evie cupped his face, turning her head slightly to make the kiss deeper and passionate. Their tongues tangling and dancing together as they slowly began to grind against each other lightly, their excitement heightening. Jacob made a trail of kisses, leading his way down to the nape of her neck, biting into it, making her hiss from the feel of pain turning into a feel of pleasure.

As their feeling of arousal grew, Jacob separated their lips, opening his eyes, seeing Evie right before his eyes. His heart tightened after seeing Evie, suddenly feeling guilt take over. He bit his bottom lip as he closed his eyes, turning his head aside, looking away as he gripped onto the sheets with the feeling of frustration. Jacob shook his head lightly with a chuckle. Evie looked at him, wondering what was wrong. Jacob kissed her softly one last time before getting up.

"I'm sorry..." He whispered, walking back to his room, "I'm so sorry, dear sister." Jacob entered his room and lied down, lost in deep thought, closing his eyes, trying to clear his mind and sort out everything in his head.

Jacob didn't know what to do. He loved his sister, but a liking of Rose continued to grow. He felt ashamed for how things were turning out. The young man knew it was wrong to love his sister in that kind of way, but he just couldn't control his longing for her. And the young man also knew that it was wrong to go after another woman just to numb the pain. Jacob was stuck and torn between the two, leaving him with nothing, but misery. That night was one he wanted to forget, but also remember.


	7. Questions

"Mmm... hm...?" Jacob stretched, slowly waking up from the light glimmering through his windows, "Ugh... why must it be morning already...?" Jacob placed his arm over his eyes, trying to shield his eyes from the light that was blinding him, "I don't want to get up..."

He sighed deeply, remembering how terrible it was last night, tossing and turning in his sleep. Jacob planned on sleeping in a little longer to make up for the hours he missed. As he turned over, closing his eyes slowly, he noticed a woman lying in his bed, her back facing him. He stiffened from shock, wondering to himself on who it was and how she ended up in his bed. Jacob's mind soon filled with questions.

 _Is that Rose...? What the hell happened last night? I don't recall her returning..._ He thought to himself, slowly sitting up to not wake up the woman so he could identify the lass that was in his bed, _Christ... why her...?_ Jacob covered his face, heat rising to the top from embarrassment, _Why is Evie in here?! In my bed, no less!_ He asked himself, not unhappy, but slightly mortified by his thoughts _, Did we...? Christ! I don't recall a damn thing!_ He groaned with irritation, _I don't recall getting drunk... and I remember how eventful it was last night, so how...?_

Jacob looked back at Evie with a faint sigh, confused on how he should feel right now. As he looked around he saw they were both still wearing clothes, so he assumed nothing serious happened, but he did question on how she ended up in his bed. He didn't mind as much, but he did feel slightly uncomfortable by waking up with a surprised guest in his bed. The young man was about to slowly slip out of bed, until Evie turned in her sleep, her arm wrapped tightly around him, snuggling him closely.

 _Fuck..._ He thought to himself, trying to calm his racing heart, _Please don't wake up..._ He closed his eyes tightly, embarrassed to hug her in turn by the cause of an unwelcomed guest that was below his waist. He tried to escape her grasp, wanting to get rid of his morning wood before she woke up, but luck was not on his side that morning.

"Hm...?" Evie's eyes slowly opened, waking up from Jacob's movement.

 _Damn it all to hell!_ He groaned faintly, hoping she would fall back asleep without noticing his erection, _Please go back to sleep! Please!_

"Mmm... good morning, brother." Evie smiled up at him with a sleepy grin, snuggling up to him, "Did you sleep well?"

"Hm? O-Oh! Y-Yeah... I did most definitely, Evie!" He lied, wondering when she entered his room since he didn't fall asleep until around three in the morning, "I slept really well!" Jacob tensed up, automatically hiding his morning glory.

"Are you feeling alright, brother?" Evie cocked her head to the side, a little worried from the look of redness covering his face, "Do you have a fever?" She placed her forehead against his, "Goodness! You're burning up! I'll go fetch you a cold rag!"

He was slightly distracted by her closeness and her fruity scent, failing at keeping himself calm from his excitement that was escalating bit by bit, "Hm? Oh! Y-Yes, please!"

Jacob spoke quickly, wanting her to hurry out of bed so he could at least hide his erection for the time being. He put all his strength into bearing the throbbing pain that was coming from his pecker. Jacob was sadly not able to satisfy it because of his inability to do his usual morning routine by the cause of his sisters presence. The young man became uncomfortable and frustrated by Evies sudden intrusion during his sleep.

As Evie was about to rush out of bed, she ended up brushing her arm down his body as she slipped out of bed, suddenly grazing something that felt odd to her. The young woman looked down, suddenly seeing what it was that she touched. It was something that she didn't expect. Even though she knew she should have. Evie stared down for a moment then looked at Jacob with a faint scoff as she smirked.

"What do I happen to see here, little brother? Does this happen to be the reason you have a fever?" She placed her index finger on his chest, gliding her hand down by the tips of her fingers, groping his bulge gently, massaging it teasingly as she slowly got closer to his face, placing her lips softly on his, before nipping his bottom lip gently.

"E-Evie... w-wait... I-I can explain..." Jacob muffled with a groan, "D-Don't tease me... like... that..."

"Oh? Why can't I have a little fun in the morning, Jacob?" She giggled, her lips trailing down his neck, soon biting the nape of it as her hand pulled the lace that was holding up his PJ's, slipping her hand inside, teasing the tip.

Jacob arched back, gasping for air as he gripped onto the sheets, his erection growing, making his pecker stiffen as a board, making it as hard as a rock, "Oh, God... Evie..." He huffed, closing his eyes tightly.

As the feeling of arousal reached to it's maximum height, leading him to craving her, he dove in for a sensually passionate kiss. Jacob grabbed the back of her head, tilting his head slightly as he forcefully slipped his tongue through her lips to deepen the kiss. Evie followed his lead when their kiss became more intense as she began to stroke his cock slowly before gripping lightly, speeding her strokes. Jacob bucked up to each stroke, loving every bit of it. He couldn't stand it anymore. Jacob grabbed Evie by her shoulders placed her on the bed and hovered over her.

"Christ... Evie..." He panted.

Jacob rested his hands on the bed, clenching the sheets tightly with his hands. He leaned in forward, biting into her shoulder, sucking her skin like a leech, leaving red marks that just increased her feel of thrill. He closed his eyes tightly as his mind was becoming fuzzy by the overpowering grasp coming from his sister's hand. In a matter of seconds he heard a plead for pleasure being whispered in his ear as he groaned by the bite she gave to his earlobe before looking at her younger brother. He slowly opened his eyes, both of them looking at each other lustfully, heavily breathing against each others moans before his lips clashed into hers. Without any hesitation, he lifted up her gown and her legs, spreading them, their lips not separating as he entered deep inside her by one full thrust.

Evie arched back with a scream of bliss as she felt his hot length slide in smoothly through her chambers, his tip reaching her womb. The young woman grasped the sheets as she buried her head into Jacob's shoulder, biting into his shoulder to hold in her next loud moans. Each thrust made her gasp, just making her soaking wet, giving him easier access to thrust in and out of her, picking up the pace after every thrust.

"Jacob!" Evie cried out his name, "I'm almost..."

"I am... too, Evie!" He rested his forehead against hers, sweat dripping down both of them as their lips were just inches away from each other, barely grazing, "I-I'm..."

"Do it, Jacob! Release all of it!" Evie moaned out, crashing her lips into his, preparing for their release of bliss.

Evie felt his girth grow, signalling he was about to cum, while Jacob felt her tighten, making him stir-crazy, urging for him to cum soon. With Jacob's one last, deeply hard thrust they both came together, catching their breath, slowly relaxing all of their muscles as he filled Evie, completely-

"What the bloody hell?!" Jacob's eyes opened quickly as he bolted up, sweating profusely while he breathed heavily, "Goodness... why did that feel so real...?" As he catched his breath, he buried his face in his hands, wiping off the sweat, "Christ... what the bloody hell is wrong with me?" He questioned himself about to get up until he saw someone lying on his bed, blocking him from getting out of bed.

 _Dear Lord... please tell me that's not Evie..._ He prayed, _Is this another dream...? Please tell me this is a dream..._ Jacob lightly placed his hand on her arm, finding out this was not another dream, _Damn it all to hell..._ There she was, lying in his bed.

"Sod it. I'm not going to go through this again." He rushed out of bed this time, trying to keep himself from wanting to sleep with his sister.

"Hm?" Evie peeked one eye open, seeing Jacob get dressed, "Oh... good morning, brother."

Jacob tensed up after hearing Evie talk to him, sounding exactly the same as she was in his dream, "M-Morning, Evie." He continued to get dressed, hurrying into his clothes, not caring how disheveled he would look, planning on straightening himself later after he leaves the room.

"Why in such a hurry, Jacob?" Evie questioned, curious.

"Hm? O-Oh, I'm... I'm having to help Freddy capture a crime lord in Lambeth today." He tried to think of an excuse just so he could leave.

"Oh! Would you like some assistants?" Jacob froze, "Is something the matter, Jacob?"

"N-No! Of course not! Nothing's the matter, sweet sister of mine." He chuckled faintly, looking back at her with a forced grin, before struggling to put his last boot on, "Well, I'm off! See you when you get there!"

"Wait!" Evie grabbed his wrist before he fled the room, "Why do you still avoid me, brother?" She looked up at him with saddened eyes, "Are our feelings not mutual?"

"M-Mutual...? Wh-What do you mean by that, Evie?" He laughed awkwardly, denying on understanding what she means.

"You know exactly what I mean, brother! Stop pushing me away like you did years ago!" Evie wrapped her arms tightly around him, resting her head on his chest.

"I-I'm not, Evie! I swear!" Jacob spat out.

"Then kiss me..." She whispered, slowly looking up at him sheepishly.

"P-Pardon...?" Jacob jolted.

"Kiss me." Evie whimpered.

"Evie..." He sighed deeply, feeling his whole body weigh down from the feeling of sadness.

Jacob stood there, staring at Evie for several seconds before surrending to her plead. He kept trying to pull away, but his feelings for her just kept overflowing in his heart to where it became insufferable. He gave in, knowing in the back of his mind, he too, wanted to kiss her. He yearned for her for years and he felt this was his only opportunity. So he surrendered, leaning down towards her as he wrapped his arms around her lower back, pulling her in. Jacobs lips rested gently on hers, before they both opened their lips slightly in unison.

Their kiss started off in a loving way, before becoming a little intense to the point of where both moaned, exploring each others mouths, tasting every bit of each other. Jacob tried to hold the reins as tight as he could, restraining himself from proceeding further. He was saddened by his way of thinking, but he knew nothing could go further than this. Not unless... Not unless they leave together and start their lives all over again. The young man felt Evie would not agree to such thought, so he didn't question, seeing as to he, too, was just as hesitant.

He separated their lips slowly, peering into her eyes, "Let's head out... I'll wait in the caboose." Jacob said lowly with a faint grin before releasing her, turning away, letting her get dressed.

Even though they confessed last night, Evie still felt a bit of a distance between them. She was sad, but her assumption was he was still healing. The young woman wanted to show how much she missed him. How much she regretted the day she left him behind. How much she longed for his presence. But... she felt she couldn't do anything, but wait. It killed her inside, but with the amount of love she has for him, she was willing to wait patiently for this man.

Less than an hour passed and they reached their destination. Evie was ecstatic to see Sergeant Abberline. She loved helping him out, though wasn't pleased to remember the amount of recklessness that came from her brother.

"Well, if it isn't Mrs. Green!" Sergeant Abberline said with a grin, "Are you here for business?"

Evie looked down, saddened by the thought of bringing up her separation, "Freddy, if you don't mind me asking about the War Lord you mentioned a couple days ago, could you explain the information you have about him?" Jacob went in between them, changing the subject.

"Oh! Right! About that." Abberline began.

Evie looked up at Jacob, amazed by his sudden act of kindness, making her heart skip a beat, "What happened to you when I was away, brother...?" She whispered to herself with a small grin.

"So, I assume stealth is a must?" Jacob chuckled, "And you want this man alive, correct?" Abberline nodded, "Is there any need of me to kill any of his men?"

"Only if it's a must, Jacob." Abberline replied, "Just continue on not making a scene like you have the passed four years." He chuckled a little before patting Jacob's shoulder, "I know you can succeed on this mission like last time. Good luck."

"You know I don't need such luck, but thanks." Jacob tipped his hat, soon taking it off to place his hood on, "Ready Evie?" He looked over at her.

"Ready when you are." She grinned, failing at hiding her excitement.

"Alright, let's go." He smirked, holding up his arm, shooting out the grappling hook to jump up to the roof, Evie following behind.

Jacob searched the area with his eagle vision, seeing how many men are armed. There were six men on the roof with a rifle and four on the ground with a pistol. He examined more of the area, searching where the main target was. The young man grinned once his eyes landed on their target. Jacob looked at Evie, seeing her look of determination, something he always loved seeing. He put his focus back on the target before talking to Evie.

"Alright, there are six men on the roof and four men at the bottom that are armed." He began, "I'll take the right while you take the left and we'll meet in the center to corner our target." Jacob looked over at the suddenly nervous older twin, "Hey, is everything okay?" He placed his hand softly on her arm, trying to reassure her.

"Hm? Oh, y-yeah, just a little nervous since it's been awhile since I've done this." She gave a crooked smile, looking over at him, "So, let me apologize ahead of time if I happen to fail."

"I know you won't, Evie. Just remember to breathe and to always have fun during it." He smiled, "I know you can do this. After all, I did learn from the best!" He smirked, before running from rooftop to rooftop.

Evie blushed by his smooth words, having difficulty getting it out of her head so she could focus on the mission, but she tried with all her might so she wouldn't fail at it. Jacob was knocking out one gunman after another, removing the bullets before doing a leap of faith into the hay pile to head to the rest of the gunmen, pulling them into the hay pile, knocking them out in there. Evie was impressed on how much he improved. She was still on the rooftops, following Jacobs lead, soon meeting him into the house where their target was. Once they both entered, Evie hid behind a wall, whistling to attract the man's attention so Jacob could approach him from behind, making it easier for him. Jacob grabbed the man's wrist and twisted it behind his back, leading him towards Abberline.

"What the bloody hell are you doing here?!" The man questioned aloud, "Where are you taking me?!"

"I see you haven't changed one bit. Well, I have bad news for you today, chap. You're on strike three." Jacob spoke lowly, escorting him forcefully to Freddy, "I thought you would have learned better by now, but I see my assumption was wrong."

"Don't do this to me! I'll die in there." The man spoke in a panicked tone, "Please, I-I won't do this again."

"Sorry to inform you, chap, but you've reached the end of the line. You'll be lucky to spend life in imprisonment, if you repent for your crimes." Jacob whispered into the man's ear, "Now quiet down!" He gripped the man's wrist as a warning.

They reached where Abberline was waiting, seeing a huge grin appear on his face. A look of satisfaction came across the twins' faces as they closed in the gap, handing him the criminal.

"I can't thank you two enough." Abberline smiled with relief, "I'll be looking forward to seeing you two again." He waved before driving off.

"So... what have I been missing, Jacob?" Evie pulled down her hood, gripping onto Jacob's shoulder.

"Whatever do you mean?" He pulled down his hood, cocking his head to the side, looking at her with a perplexed look.

"Ever since I've returned you have certainly changed, brother. And I'd like to know what changed you." Evie gave a crooked grin, giving him a look of proudness and amazement.

"I don't understand where you're getting at, Evie." He chuckled, rubbing the back of his neck.

"Yesterday you fought enemies in a ring practically with grace, you didn't kill them, you gave them forewarning, you even tried to talk them out of fighting you." Evie began, "You would usually just cause havoc and make a scene in public and kill enemies instantly with no warning given whatsoever. And today, you just knocked out all the enemies, you didn't pull out your blade, you didn't shoot, your stealth was perfect, and you brought back the target alive." Evie scoffed with amazement, "So what did I miss? What made you become... such a humble and mature man?"

Jacob stared at her for a moment, trying to think of how it even started, "I have the slightest clue, Evie." He chuckled faintly, "I didn't even realize it until you brought it up."

"Stop lying, Jacob..." The young woman chuckled lightly, "I want to know what I missed when I've been away."

"Well, if you want to know, then you should have been here to find out for yourself." He sighed, noticing too late on what words he just used, "Evie... I'm sorry, I didn't mean to use those-"

"It's okay... I understand." She chuckled faintly, holding her hand up, stopping him, trying to brush off that feel of sharpness, "Let's continue onward. I'd like to improve my abilities and strengthen them again." Evie planted a fake smile across her face as she passed Jacob.

"Evie..." Jacob felt the same sharpness, knowing she was hurt by his use of words, but he just didn't know how to take it back.

As the day passed by with success, the twins were exhausted. They both boarded the train and fell back onto the nearest furniture.

"Today was so exhausting..." Evie groaned out.

"Well, what did you expect?" Jacob chuckled, resting his head back, "It's been how many years since you've fought?"

"Four. Sad. Years." Evie sighed deeply as she responded with a faint chuckle, "I never knew I'd be expected to be a house wife."

"Nor did I, sister... Nor did I..." He chuckled lightly, drifting in and out of slumber, "Well, I shall head to bed before I end up falling asleep on this uncomfortable couch." Jacob groaned, getting up, heading towards his room, "I'll see you tomorrow, Evie. Rest well." He waved, walking sluggishly towards his room.

"Rest well, brother." Evie said in turn.

Once Jacob was out of sight she stood up, heading towards the restroom to wash her face, hoping it would wake her up more. After Evie dried her face, she walked out with a faint sigh, thinking of a way to find out what her brother has been doing the passed five years. As she was in deep thought, something appeared in her mind, bringing a smile to her face, but her grin soon vanished after noticing what happened to appear in her mind. The young woman groaned with annoyance as she jumped off the train, walking to her destination.

"Welcome back, Ms. Frye." Rose grinned once she saw Evie walk in.

"Good evening, Ms. Moore." Evie sat on the closest stool, resting her arms on the bar table, signalling Rose to come closer.

"Is there something specific you would like me to serve you?" Rose questioned, slightly bewildered.

"No, there's something I'd like to ask you." Evie started off, "I'd like to know what my brother has been doing the passed five years while I was away. Would you mind answering?" The young woman looked at Rose with a pleading look.

Rose was hesitant on answering her, but after seeing a look of sadness in Evie's eyes all she could do was close her eyes with a nod.


	8. Bits and Pieces

"Well, may I serve you something? I can't exactly talk unless I serve you a drink first." Rose smiled faintly.

"Hm? Oh... alright. I'll have a pint of your strongest liquor." Evie chuckled lightly, "I have a feeling I would need something strong to relax these nerves of mine."

Rose nodded and grabbed a glass, filling the glass half way for starters, after remembering Evie's last visit, "What do you have to ask me, Ms. Frye?"

"I was wondering what event my brother has gone through to turn him into... into a completely different man?" Evie questioned, watching Rose fill her glass.

"Well..." Rose began, thinking of where to start, "I've only been around Jacob during the evenings. So I can only inform you a little that I know, so my apologies on not completely fulfilling your request." She sighed before continuing, "What I recall after your leave was... Jacob was not stable for half a year after your leave. He was more reckless than usual. Or at least that's what I've collected during his countless visits."

Evie's heart sank from the thought.

"He always arrived with cuts and bruises almost every night as months passed. Thankfully they were just minor." She looked down, trying to hold herself together as she remembered her time spent with him, "I treated him each time, even though I had to struggle my way through to heal him each time. Afterwards Jacob would always drink his sorrows away, which is when I started limiting him. I will admit, I feel guilty to this day the amount I used to serve him each time he requested." Rose chuckled with a distasteful look, "I wanted to help heal him not just physically, but also emotionally as time passed, but... the last time he stopped for a period of time was when he..." The young woman fell silent.

"He what...?" Evie asked.

"He kissed me... then up and ran out the door and avoided me for quite some time. Then there was one time he came by, just a few months later with a look of sorrow in his eyes and severe cuts on his face and wounds deep to where I needed to disinfect then stitch and wrap up..." Rose added, "He didn't want to inform me on what happened to him. I kept pestering him as I healed him, but at one point he yelled and walked out the door again, leaving me with nothing, but worries."

"I'm... I'm sorry to hear that..." The young woman said faintly, feeling a slight piercing pain in her chest as she continued to listen.

"I don't know what happened to that man." Rose looked at Evie with sadness, "He was always so cheery, but as the years passed, I noticed the times he was cheery was when you were near."

Evie's face turned a little red by the sudden statement. She cleared her throat, taking a drink, trying to stay calm and collected as she was waiting for Rose to continue. Rose chuckled lightly as she looked away, thinking of what else there was to tell her, but there was nothing else coming to mind.

"I'm sorry I don't have much information to give to you, but you can always ask Sergeant Frederick Abberline." Rose stated, "Jacob always went to him for I assume missions."

Evie nodded, "Thank you." She smiled sheepishly, finishing her drink before standing up.

"Anytime you need help with anything, I'll be here." Rose smiled with a wave of farewell, "Have a nice evening, Ms. Frye."

"You as well, Ms. Moore." Evie walked out of the building, thinking to herself on where Abberline could be.

Rose watched Evie walk out, leading her to recall the eventful nights with Jacob, "I'm sorry, Evie..." Rose mumbled, feeling miserable for not giving Evie all of the information she had stored, but she knew in order for them to reconnect, Evie would have to open the wounds herself in order to help him heal...

 _ **Four Years Ago...**_

"Welcome— Mr. Frye?!" Rose was about to welcome the next customer that was walking in, until she saw it was Jacob staggering his way to the bar, all disheveled with little bruising on his face, "What has happened to you?!" The young woman ran to him, feeling troubled.

"Hm? Oh! good evenin', Moore. Nothin' ta worry, just minor bruises. Anyway, happen ta have Moore? Heh... gittit?" Jacob spoke, his voice slurring the words.

"Mr. Frye, you're injured and drunk!" Rose spoke, distressed.

"I... I only a lil' injad and drunk." Jacob laughed, unable to stand up straight.

"Dear God, Mr. Frye..." The young woman sighed with worry and disappointment, "You reek of booze. What happened?"

"N-Nothin' fo ya ta fret ova." Jacob chuckled, viewing everything as a joke, "Ya know ya have the prettiest eyes. And tha long, flowing black hair. Such beauty, Ms. Moore." He curled a strand of her hair with his index finger, beginning to doze in and out of sleep.

Rose's face turned flushed, but she brushed it off so she could assist the drunk Jacob on sobering up, "We need to sober you up so you'll stop this meaningless flattery, Mr. Frye."

"I'm jus fine and bein' honest, Ms. Moore." He gave her a childish grin, "Please do not fret and I must say, I neva lie when drunk."

Jacob looked deeply into her eyes as though giving her a look of fondness, leading her heart to flutter by the words. Rose tried to ignore the words so she could help him get better. Their conversation ended with mixed feelings swarming around them. The young woman called for some assistants to help her lead him into the back room, to lie him down so she could help him. She placed some kind of cream over the bruises and got a cold rag and placed it on his forehead, waiting for him to wake from his little nap so she could give him water and nice warm food. Several minutes passed until Jacob awoke with a migraine.

"Ugh... what the bloody hell? Why do I feel like I got whacked by a hammer?" Jacob slowly sat up.

"Well, that's what tends to happen when getting in fights and overdrinking, Mr. Frye." Rose walked in with a tray of warm food and a glass of water, "Best to take it easy."

"Hm? What happened?" Jacob looked over at Rose, his eyes widening by the thought of shame.

"You happened to have walked in here with bruises on your face and drunk to high heavens, wanting to drink even more." Rose responded, "You joked and tried to flatter me with such words I know were just sweet lies from the booze." She chuckled lightly, setting the tray on his lap.

Jacobs face became flushed, "Wh-What did I happen to say...?" He questioned as he felt a bit of stinging on his face from the bruises.

Rose looked at him with a straight face, "Ya know ya have the prettiest eyes. And tha long, flowing black hair. Such beauty, Ms. Moore. Is what you happened to have stated, Mr. Frye." A mischievous grin ran across her face, awaiting to see a reaction, "You need to practice on your lying when trying to flatter a lass."

His face turned slightly crimson as he cleared his throat, "W-Well... I never lie when I'm drunk, Ms. Moore." He smirked, trying to hide his flustered face.

"And when have I not heard that line before?" She giggled, "You need to work harder, Mr. Frye, if you ever want to win the woman of your dreams heart."

"So I assume I haven't won yours quite yet?" His smirk grew after noticing a shade of cardinal covered her cheeks, "Do I happen to see a shade of crimson on those pretty little cheeks of yours?"

"Oh, quiet down, Mr. Frye and sober up!" She grabbed a piece of the food off of his tray and shoved it in his mouth to silence him, looking away, hiding her flushed face, "Goodness..." Rose stood up, walking away, "Once you're done, you should head home. No more drinking for you tonight, Mr. Frye. Wouldn't want another incident like this."

As she was about to return to the bar, her wrist was grabbed and she was tugged down, landing on the couch, sitting beside Jacob. She froze, shocked by the sudden pull, taking her seconds for her to realize what happened. The young woman tried to keep a bit of a distance, noticing Jacob must have forgotten the last time they spent together which left her a bit saddened.

"Well, mind letting me practice with you?" Jacob whispered huskily in her ear.

"I-I beg your pardon?" She became flustered by the sudden excitement building up just by the cause of his closeness and the tone of his voice.

"Would you mind assisting me on my flattery?" He whispered, leading Rose to feeling his warm breath hit her bare skin, making her shiver, "I have quite fondness for you, Ms. Moore. Such beautiful ocean blue eyes that continue to drown me with praise towards you." He stared deeply into her eyes, soon moving his eyes down slightly low, "Those luscious faint pink lips always curled into a smile, soon exposing those pearly white teeth of yours." Jacob smiled softly, "And such beautiful bone structure from those blushed cheeks of yours. Such magnetizing beauty I just can't look away from." The young man placed his hand on her cheek as he cocked his head to the side with a smirk, looking back into her eyes.

"Damn you, Mr. Frye!" She covered her reddened face with her hands, her face on fire as embarrassment took it course, "Alright, alright... I take it back..." Rose sighed deeply, "You're such a smooth talker. Goodness..."

"I'm flattered, Ms. Moore." Jacob grinned from ear to ear, "Do I get a reward for success?" He smirked.

"Just maybe, Mr. Frye." She stood up, looking over her shoulder, "Now please let me return to work." The young woman began to head back, but got pulled back again.

"Only if you promise to spend a nice evening with me." He stood up, looking at her with a youthful looking grin.

"Fine... tomorrow evening..." The young woman resigned easily, looking away to hide her rosy face, soon tugging away.

"I'll be looking forward to it." Jacob smiled genuinely, watching Rose walk away, before eating what was served to him.

As months passed, their time together seemed blissful as they reconnected their bond. Happiness always surrounding the two lively adolescents. Or at least that's what Rose collected from their time spent together, until one late fateful evening. Rose became a little worried since Jacob has not showed up yet. Once he did though, the young lass froze by the sight of him. The young man would usually always arrive with a huge grin across his face, but one evening, he walked in as a complete trainwreck.

"Mr. Frye! What happened?!" Rose ran up to the young lad.

Jacob stumbled to the floor. His clothes torn. His face full of cuts and bruises. His body covered with some punctured wounds. The young lass was frightened by the thought of what happened. She cupped his face, examining his whole body, filled with nothing, but fear.

Jacob could barely speak, "The... The Rooks and Blighters..." His eyebrows knitted as tears began to flow down his face, "All... All are..." The young man buried his head between her neck and shoulder, bawling as he gripped onto her arms weakly, "Whitechapel... The gang in Whitechapel are all... all..."

"What happened?" Rose held the back of Jacobs head, comforting him.

"The Rooks and Blighters are all..." He gulped hard before speaking, "Dead..." Jacob muffled faintly, "A gruesome massacre happened and... and I couldn't help any of them!" He looked up at her, his face pale, looking as though he was falling ill.

"Dear God... Mr. Frye..." Rose looked at him, overwhelmed with concern, "It's not your fault, Mr. Frye! War is unpredictable, none of this—?!"

"It is all my fault!" Jacob interrupted with a screech, "If I listened to Freddy none of this would have happened! Ugh... Christ..." He groaned from pain.

"Mr. Frye!" Rose shouted, "Sod everything for now so I can heal you!"

"No... Ms. Moore... just... just let me die." He shook with fear and severe depression, "After what just happened... I shouldn't even be alive either—?!"

"Mr. Frye, stop this idiotic self-pity! Get a hold of yourself and let me help you!" Without a second thought, she slapped him in the face, not hard, but firm enough to knock some sense into him.

Jacob was in shock that all he could do was nod. The young lass sighed with slight relief, helping him walk to the back room, lying him on the furniture to help disinfect, stitch, and wrap up his cuts and wounds. A deep sigh of relief left her lips as she saw his skin become less pale and that he was beginning to look better than when he arrived in shambles. The young lad examined the work Rose did, amazed on how she healed him. He looked over at her with a small grin before he was questioned on what happened.

"So... Mr. Frye..." Rose looked at him, concerned to question on what happened, but gulped down her concerns and asked, "What caused this? What happened to you and your gang?"

Jacob closed his eyes tightly, looking as though he was falling weak by the thought as a deep sigh escaped before responding, "I... I was informed that the Blighters were rallying up together to take control of Whitechapel. I thought my men would be able to strike out all of them by a sneak attack, but we were ambushed and ended up fighting as best we could..." He clenched his hands tightly, trying to continue, his voice crackling as he forcefully blurted out the rest, "After seeing all my men down... dead... I snapped... I ended up killing every last Blighter. Once I calmed down, I saw my hands and clothing covered with blood which made me question myself... Was there even a point to this? All I caused was death to my men and to others... Was it worth it...? Was it...?"

"Mr. Frye..." Rose spoke lowly, lightly cupping his cheek, turning his face to look at her, "Life is unpredictable. You can't control everything that's coming your way. It's painful, yes, but keep in mind... everything is either something to learn from or a blessing from above." She peered into his eyes, trying to look calm for the sake of him, "Everything will get better. It just takes time to heal just like these wounds." Rose placed her hand under his chin, placing a soft kiss on his forehead, "Please rest. I'll be cleaning the bar. If you ever need help with anything just holler, okay?" She grinned faintly before turning to head back.

"Thank you..." Jacob spoke lowly as the young woman walked away.

"You're welcome..." Rose whispered to where only she could hear as a tear slid down her cheek while a faint grin crossed her face.

When Jacob finished the meal she made for him, he felt a sharp twinge in his chest. He sighed lightly before grabbing a pen and paper he saw nearby. He stared at the objects for a few minutes, figuring out on what to write. Once his mind was clear to think straight, he wrote Rose a note before getting dressed and leaving the place in the back of the building. The young man looked behind him, seeing the young lass work while humming, letting out a faint chuckle before walking out.

"Jacob?" Rose walked back to check on him, but all she saw was an empty plate and water glass with a note beside it, "Hm?" The young woman walked up and read it.

 _Dear Rose Moore,_

 _Thank you for your care and my deep apologies for always relying on you when I feel you should be the one relying on me. I will admit, it makes me feel weak, but I promise you, I will become a stronger and more wiser man as the years pass. So please keep in mind, I will always be near if ever in need of help. Until then..._

"Okay..." A weak smile appeared on her face as she hugged the note.

 _ **Present Time...**_

"I wonder where Abberline could be..." Evie whispered to herself, using her eagle vision to search for familiar faces, "Hm? Oh!" She spotted him only a block away.

She ran from building to buidling until he was right below her. The young woman climbed down the building and landed right in front of Abberline, making him jump, "Oh! Good evening Mrs. Green, surprised me there for a moment." He chuckled, grabbing hold of his chest, "What brings you out here this late evening?"

"I wanted to ask what my brother has been doing the past five years I've been away." Evie questioned, ignoring how Abberline greeted her, "Do you happen to have time to speak with me?"

"Of course." Abberline grinned, "I'm heading to my office to work on some papers, would you mind if we walk and talk?"

"Not at all." Evie exposed a small grin, beginning to walk with him.

"What do you have to ask me about your brother?" He asked.

"I heard he was more reckless than before I left. But I noticed he improved on a lot of things. Do you have the slightest idea on what could have caused it?" Evie asked, a bit surprised of asking such a question.

Abberline scratched the back of his head, thinking of when he started to change, "Well, what I can recollect is, yes, he of course was reckless, but I assume after one fateful evening when he was encountering the gang leader, Maxwell Roth, things appeared to have taken a turn to the worse..." He stopped in his tracks for a moment, thinking of how to clarify the main key of the issue, "Roth and Frye made arrangements on ridding all of Crawford's allies last I heard, but I was never given an explanation on what truly happened later those days. All I was given was a dead Roth..." He looked down, placing his hand on his forehead, thinking of what else happened, "I tried to get an explanation out of him, but he never gave me his reasons. All I recall after that is... he wasn't the same since that evening. Yes, he still has his sense of humor and still that goofy personality depending on the person he's with, but what I later noticed was, he became more cautious on everything and brought back every bounty alive, no kills on their allies, and has made London feel safer than ever." He chuckled faintly, looking back up at Evie, "That's all I have... I'm sorry I don't have anything else. You can always ask Ned Wynert, he's helped him out a lot last I recall."

"Alright... thank you, Abberline. I'll go find him, have a nice rest of the evening and call me if ever need of assistants on capturing your targets." Evie smiled.

"My pleasure, Mrs. Green. Have a nice evening yourself and I will keep that in mind." He tipped his hat with a smile, watching the older twin jump up to the top of the building.

"I'm sorry Mrs. Green..." Abberline sighed deeply as he continued to walk to his office.

A Little Over Three Years Ago...

"Hey, Freddy." Jacob patted his back, standing beside him.

"How the hell did you know it was me?!" Abberline jumped, groaning with frustration after seeing Jacob blow his cover.

"You know, you really need to improve on your disguises more." He laughed lightly.

"Sod it, what do you need this time, Mr. Frye?" He glared at him.

"I wanted to ask how much you know about this man named, Maxwell Roth?" Jacob leaned against a wall as he asked.

"Why the sudden question? Do you happen to have some sort of business with that man?" The elder man questioned with concerned curiosity.

"Well, not particularly, it's just I keep receiving invitations on joining him for a drink." Jacob began, "So, I'd like to know if there are any wary signs I should keep a close watch on?"

Abberline was hesitant on responding, but thought it would be best to answer instead of letting this young man do more reckless things, "Well, the man is known to have a few loose screws in his head, so it's best to be wary on his offers given." He began, "He's a reasonable man, last I heard, but when he's angered by one, he will cause chaos to several others, so I suggest you be wary on what you say and do if you ever encounter that man."

Jacob looked intrigued by the explanation, "Thanks, Freddy." He grinned, patting his shoulder as he passed by, "I'll keep that in mind. I'll be around here for awhile, so if needing help on anything, please do not hesitate on calling for my assistants and my Rooks." The young man bowed teasingly with a smirk before climbing his way up the building.

"Please don't do anything idiotic!" Abberline shouted as he watched Jacob climb.

All Jacob did was laugh as he was reaching the top, "When have I ever done things wrongly, Freddy?" He looked down.

"It's not what you've done wrongly! It's what you've done carelessly! So please! Don't make things harder than they already are for me!" Abberline yelled.

"I'll try my best not to!" Jacob laughed as he turned, running off.

"Dear God I hope so..." Abberline whispered to himself, shaking his head as he walked away, praying nothing bad will happen to his reputation.

A few days passed and a hard knock on the door came from Abberline's front door during the late evening. The older man groaned from annoyance, wondering who could be arriving at his place at this time of night. He was groggy as he dragged his way to the front door, cursing to himself. When he opened, he saw a bedraggled Jacob, looking as though he was like death warmed over.

"What in the bloody hell happened to you?!" Abberline grasped Jacob's shoulders, concerned of his well-being.

"Don't ask... just... just please take care of Roth for me." He covered his eyes with one hand, pinching the bridge of his nose, looking as though he was holding in his tears, "He's in the carriage in the front. I'll... I'll explain things later, just please take care of that damn bastard for me!" Jacob looked at Abberline with a look of anguish in his eyes and a growl of frustration as he turned and ran out the closest window, climbing up.

"Mr. Frye!" He called out to Jacob, but he didn't stop, "Dear Lord..." Abberline sighed deeply, rubbing the back of his head out of frustration, "What in God's name happened to him...?"

Sergeant Abberline put on his coat, wondering to himself on what was going on as he walked down to the carriage. When he opened the carriage, he smelt a strong scent of smoke, covering his nose as he examined the body. He saw the corpse of Maxwell Roth, amazed by how Jacob made his assassination appear simple and harmless. Abberline looked around, wondering if Jacob was near, but saw no sight of him. A deep sigh left his lips, questioning himself on why Jacob seemed so dead inside when he arrived. The older man brushed it off and took care of what was given to him, hoping to hear an explanation the next day.

 _ **Present Time...**_

"Now... where, oh, where could Wynert be?" Evie questioned aloud, trying to remember if he was on the train or roaming around London, "Well, let's start off on the train then..." She sighed, beginning to run towards the train.

Evie hopped on the train, praying that Wynert was there and smiled with a scoff as she saw luck was on her side. She saw him looking through a folder filled with papers, mumbling to himself. The young lass saw he never changed.

"Mr. Wynert." She called out, "Do you happen to have a minute?"

"Hm? Oh, Ms. Frye, quite a pleasure to see you back here." He grinned, "What can I do ya for?"

"I'd like to ask you what's turned Jacob into such a... such a humble man?" She was hesitant at first, but gave in by the cause of her curiosity.

"Whatever do you mean? Does he not seem the same to you?" Wynert questioned, cocking his head to the side.

"He seems completely different than the last I saw him five years ago. Do you happen to know on what might have changed him?" She questioned.

"Well, I don't exactly share things involving other clients, so I'm sorry, Ms. Frye." He gave a crooked grin, feeling bad for not giving her information about her brother.

"Please? I would be indebted to you even if you give me the tiniest amount of information on what I missed while I was away." Evie pleaded.

"Ms. Frye, I'm deeply sorry. I would love to if I could, but I feel it would be best if you asked him directly. If not answered by him then you can ask others of what's been happening while you were away." He apologized, "You could ask Ms. MacBean. She's right next door." The man pointed out, "That's all I can suggest... I'm sorry."

Evie sighed, nodding her head, "Thank you..." She turned and walked in the next room, slightly frustrated by having to walk to one person after another to find out on what she has missed during her absence.

 _ **Three and a Half Years Ago...**_

"Hey, Ned." Jacob rested his arm on Ned's shoulder as he stood beside him, "I happen to have a request that might tickle your fancy."

"Oh? And what might that be, Frye?" He looked up at Jacob, pushing his arm off of him, "It better not be like last time, Frye. I almost got arrested because of you." Ned glared, folding his arms, waiting for Jacob to continue.

"No, nothing like last time, Ned." He chuckled, holding his arms up as if surrendering, "This is something simple. I just need you to decipher something for me."

"Simple, huh? Doesn't sound simple to me if I'm having to translate codes for you." He glared, "What do I get out of it?"

"How about twenty-six cargos of supplies that you've been needing the past few months? Would that be enough for you to decipher a few files for me?" Jacob smirked at him, knowing fully well he'd get a yes out of it.

"Fine, but first, do you have the shipment?" Ned questioned.

"Yes, I have it heading our way. Half of it is already by the docks in Whitechapel, the rest will be arriving tomorrow at dawn. Promise." He grinned, crossing his heart, "Do we have a deal?" Jacob held out his hand.

"You've got yourself a deal, Frye." Ned shook his hand, giving a look of satisfaction.

"Fantastic." Jacob grinned from ear to ear, "The files are on the train and it'll stop in a half hour, shall we catch a ride?"

"Now when you say, catch a ride, do you mean you're going to hijack another carriage, Frye?" Ned rolled his eyes, looking over at Jacob seeing him already jump on a cart, beckoning him over.

"You going to join me?" Jacob held out his hand, "Or are you wanting me to hold you by the waist while I use my grappling hook and free run from rooftop to rooftop?" He smirked.

"Carriage it is..." Ned groaned, grabbing Jacob's hand and hopping on, holding on tight, knowing how fast Jacob is going to go.

"Off we go!" He laughed with a big grin on his face as they dashed off.

They reached the train in under fifteen minutes which was a new record for Jacob. He stood tall, proud of the change in his record, completely forgetting the aftermath of his brash driving if not fully focused on it. Ned shook as he got off the carriage, his legs wobbling by the fear he had towards almost crashing into things by the cause of Jacob's way of driving. Jacob whistled, walking all dandy while heading towards the train, looking back to see how Ned was.

"How was the ride, chap?" Jacob laughed, looking at Ned.

"Just shut up and show me the files..." Ned passed him, irritated as he tried to keep a good balance on his footing.

"I'll take it that it was fun?" The young man scoffed, amused by the other man's reaction.

The train arrived a little after, letting Jacob and a few others in his crew climb aboard. Jacob walked to his room, going through the pile of papers he had scattered on his desk. The young man mumbled curse words, getting slightly frustrated from the unorganization he left himself in.

"Where the hell did I place those damn files...?" Jacob murmured to himself.

"Ahem... do these happen to be the files, Frye?" Ned questioned, pointing out the folders that were lying on his bed.

"If only I could keep my head on straight for once." He chuckled faintly, walking over, "Goodness..." Jacob shook his head, embarrassed, "Here are the files, think you could translate them and give them to me by this evening?"

"I'll give it a shot, but I can't make any promises on that." Ned responded, "Wait a tick..." The young man looked closer at the pages, "From the look of all this, it's easier to translate than I thought..." The man scoffed with surprise, "Now let's see here... On July tenth of eighteen sixty-nine there will be a drop-off at the dock in the City of London to pick up and deliver to the abandoned factory in Westminster by midnight. Sharp." Ned mumbled the rest, skimming through the words.

"What else does it have on there? Is there anything to our liking?" Jacob asked, ecstatic.

Ned stood there, speechless, "If my calculations are correct, there will be two-hundred and fifty explosives in one cargo, along with five shipments of medical kits, gold, and a year of supplies to live off of!" Ned looked up at Jacob with excitement, "Do you know what we could do with all of that?!"

"Half of that, actually. And yes." Jacob nodded with a smile, "Well, appears it's time for some looting this evening. I'll go assemble some of my finest men. Hope to see you tonight." He smirked with a wink before running off.

Nightfall came and Jacob arrived at the destination. He informed his men to standby while he stealthily took the men out one by one. The young man was surprised by the small amount that were aboard, so everything happened smoothly. As he finished, he made his way to Ned, informing him on what to do next. While they took all the shipments, he came across some notes, informing on where the supplies are supposed to actually go to. When he read them, he was in shock.

"Jacob? Is something the matter?" Ned asked.

"Yes, something's most definitely wrong. If you'll excuse me, please take this shipment to the address that's on this while I take care of some business of my own..." Jacob spoke, handing the paper to Ned before running off.

"No way..." Ned mumbled to himself after looking at the paper, "Alright..." He sighed deeply, seeing Jacob run off, "Be careful."

Present Time...

"Ms. MacBean?" Evie called out her name as she entered the next room, "Do you have a minute?"

"Hm? Oh! Mrs. Green, what can I do to assist you this evening?" The older woman questioned.

"I was wondering if you wouldn't mind me asking about my brother and what he has been up to while I was away?" Evie questioned.

"About your brother? Well... I can't exactly say much seeing as to how I've mainly spent my days in this train." She laughed faintly, "So I'm sorry that I can't inform you much, but-"

"Dame Evelyn Frye, do my ears deceive me or do I happen to be hearing you question people about my life?" Jacob asked sternly, his eyes narrowed and his arms crossed as he leaned against the wall.

"My apologies, Mrs. Green, but I can't tell you anything!" Ms. Macbean whispered, whistling as though she wasn't going to say a word to her.

"Well, since you won't tell me a damn thing, I came down to the last resort of asking those you've interacted with." Evie looked at him, irritated and nervous of the outcome.

"Christ... you'll never leave the past be, will you, Evie?" Jacob scoffed.

"You're doing just the same, Jacob." She growled, "You're not reasoning with me! You're giving me the cold shoulder still! Why won't you just be upfront with me like you were when we were young?! Why won't you open up to me?!"

"Well, I think it's time for me to leave." Ms. Macbean whispered, "Have a nice evening ya two." She chuckled awkwardly, leaving the room.

"Because Evie! I just can't! I can't do this! It just kills me each time the past comes back and haunts me! I can barely make it through the days with you by my side to be honest!" His voice cracked as he gave the look of sufferage, "I can't do this... it kills me ever so deeply to be around someone I can't even call my own for Christ's sake!" He walked up to her, "Do you know how many years I suffered through with this feeling?! I was able to stand the sight of you with others, but... but once I saw you officially become someone else's bride-to-be... I couldn't bear it... I couldn't bear anymore of it."

"You think you were the only one that suffered?! Do you know how long I've stayed up for you to return home?! Do you know how terrifying it was to stay home, worried sick each time you left so late at night?!" Evie gripped her chest, holding in her tears.

"Evie... I'm sorry... I really am, but... I just couldn't stay home most times." He looked at her, trying to keep a good distance, "The thought of me doing something regretful continued to terrify me, that I felt the only right thing to do just to keep you safe was to watch you from afar." Jacob closed his eyes tightly, trying to hold himself tightly together, "I couldn't bare the thought of causing emotional nor mental harm to my own sister... to a woman I happen to love so deeply to where it hurts... I couldn't take it, Evie... I just couldn't..."

"Jacob..." Evie covered her mouth, hiding her trembling lips, "You're not the only one who suffered that thought..." She closed her eyes tightly, "You're not the only one who suffered the feel of that emotion!" She crouched, landing on the floor in a fetal position, "To this day... I wondered why our lives became separate. It felt as though I lost my other half the day we went on different paths." She rested her chin on her knees, looking up at him, "It scared me. It pained me. The distance between us broke me and shattered every piece of me."

"Christ, Evie..." Jacob covered his face as he knelt down, "Fine... I surrender..." He looked over at her, "If this will help you... if this will help us... then sod it... I'll tell you everything." The young man looked down as he spoke, "As long as you do the same for me." He sat beside her, sitting in the same position

Evie looked at him, both of them breaking down as they sat side by side, "Okay..."

Evie nodded, continuously wiping away the tears as Jacob did the same. Jacob inhaled then exhaled slowly, preparing himself to tell her his whole story. A deep sigh escaped before he opened his lips slightly, beginning to tell her what has happened as the years passed.


	9. Haunting Past

_God have these years been brutal to me..._ Jacob thought to himself, resting his chin on his thumbs, covering his lips with his fingers, _Where the bloody hell should I even start...?_

Jacob peeked over at Evie, examining the look of anxiousness she has been giving him since his agreement to an explanation. He hid his face in his hands, groaning with annoyance before rubbing his face, preparing himself to finally open back up to Evie. The young man began to wonder on why he became so bitter and cold to her when all she did was marry the one she loved. He of course knew his selfish reason, but as he thought back to that day, he viewed his action as a childish tantrum for the sudden feel of abandonment when he knew very well that she didn't mean to do so on purpose. Jacob sighed deeply with the feel of disappointment before resting his arms on his knees, clasping his hands together, cocking his head to the side, opening his mouth slowly, trying to figure out on where to begin.

"Well... since I've already told you when my feelings began, might as well jump ahead a bit..." He sighed, looking over at her.

As Jacob began, Evie tried to recollect the past as she listened.

 _ **Eleven Years Ago...**_

 _ **1862**_

 _ **Fall**_

Today was the Frye twins fifteenth birthday and they were training attack and defense in their fathers ring while their father was pointing out what they both needed to practice on more. Jacob was getting better on attack and improving his strength, which gave him the ability to knock out his opponents with just a few strikes, but his defense was lacking, leaving him open for hard blows which would lead him to being an easy target. As for Evie, she was well-balanced on both attack and defense, but she needed to build up her strength if wanting to keep her opponent down.

The twins were sweating harshly, leading them both to panting heavily, neither twins giving in. They were both competitive, especially stubborn since their father promised the winner could do anything they pleased for the rest of the day, including teasing the other without punishment seeing as to how it was their birthday today. Though the only twin that would most likely tease would be Jacob, while Evie would love nothing more than to be left alone to read.

Evie struck Jacob a few times, swiftly pulling out the handmade blade George made for them, which led Jacob to doing the same. Grunts left Jacobs lips as he tried his best to dodge Evie's hits while growls left Evie's, both of them getting irritated by the other. Within a matter of seconds, Evie was able to strike Jacobs face twice with her blade once she found an opening, making Jacob stumble back. Jacob glared, wiping the blood off that was coming from his right eyebrow and his left cheek. A smirk appeared before he began to run towards her, preparing to jump for a fake strike to the face. Jacob grabbed her wrist that was open to grasp when she tried to shield her face, raising her arm over his head, twisting her arm, leading it behind her back, kicking the inside of her knees, making her fall forward, soon putting all his weight on her.

Evie struggled her way through as she growled with frustration, but resigned once she heard clapping come from their father, "Well done." A chuckle left his lips, "You did wonderfully on your attacks and defenses per usual, Evie. And I must say, you did fairly well on your fast strikes with your blade, but keep in mind to always have a plan b if ever caught in a position you're in now." Evie nodded with a deep sigh, "And as for you, Jacob?" He looked over at the other twin, "Nicely done on your attacks. You need to work more on your defenses, but I'm proud on how you shammed your opponent on such a false move, throwing your opponent completely off guard." Jacob didn't react to his fathers comments, he just ignored them, wanting this training to end soon, "I know you two will improve more and more as you both continue to grow. Well, lets return home and celebrate your birthday, shall we?" He grinned at them, walking ahead of them.

"Impressive move, brother..." Evie mumbled, slightly miffed and disappointed on how things ended, "I am amazed how you came up with that move." She spoke with a sarcastic tone.

"Oh, stop being such a sore loser, eldest sister." He smirked, wiping the sweat and blood off of him with his towel, "Lighten up and learn from your mistakes, Evie." Jacob looked over at her with a triumphant grin.

"Don't mock me!" Evie grumbled.

"Oh, do I happen to hear anger and jealousy in that tone of yours?" He peeked over at her with a smirk, "Does the little lass happen to be sour by the cause of being defeated by her younger brother?"

Evie scowled at him with a huff, "Best watch what you say or else..." She looked over at him, stopping in her tracks.

"Or else what, Evie? Hm?" He stopped, looking over at her, his smirk never leaving, "What the-?!"

Evie swept her brothers leg, making him fall on his back. Jacob was surprised to where it took him a few seconds for him to process on what just happened which gave Evie an opportunity to pin him on the ground. She jumped him, landing on his lower abdomen, pinning his hands above his head.

"This." She looked at him with a triumphant grin in turn, "Better start thinking on how to not make your allies turn into your enemies." Evie gave him a sly smile.

 _Dear God... don't do this to me..._ Jacob thought to himself, _Not now..._ He tried to keep himself composed, waiting for her to get off of him.

Evie began to get up, but got grabbed by the wrists once releasing Jacob, giving him the ability to pin her down this time, "You should think just the same, Evelyn Frye." Jacob smirked, giving her a mischievous look, awaiting for her facial expression to turn red, knowing very well on how she'd react to what he just called her, trying to distract himself by teasing her as a brother should.

"NEVER call me by that damn name!" Evie growled, struggling to get free by the cause of her frustration, "Now let me go!"

"Not unless you promise me that you're not going to pin me down again." He narrowed his eyes, his smirk never leaving, _Though I will admit I wouldn't mind..._ He chuckled faintly to himself, finding himself ridiculous by the thought, _What the bloody hell am I even thinking?_

"Fine! I promise..." Evie glared at him with a growl.

"Good." He chuckled faintly, suddenly kissing her forehead before getting up.

Once he stood up, he looked down at her, offering his hand, suddenly noticing her face turned crimson. He tilted his head, curious on why her face was flushed as she just stared up, not even noticing him holding out his hand. Jacob crouched, looking at her, poking her cheek.

"Everything alright, Evie?" He asked, not even realizing the kiss he gave her on her forehead.

"H-Hm...? Oh! E-Everything's fine... Brother..." She looked over at him, hoping her look of embarrassment was no longer visible as she bit her cheek, trying to distract herself from the kiss, _What the hell was that...?_ Evie questioned herself, knitting her eyebrows, _Why did he do that...?_

She was lost in thought, wondering why her heart skipped a beat and why her face became flushed. It was odd for her brother to do that, she thought, in yet, a part of her didn't mind it at all. The adolescent shook her head, trying to erase the emotional response. She held out her hand, awaiting for Jacob to grasp it. The young teen grabbed her hand and pulled her up. As he did, Evie stumbled in the process, landing into his arms, their hearts suddenly pounding. Neither one of them moved for a moment.

Evie froze, trying to evaluate why she was feeling such a bizarre feeling she has never dealt with before. While Jacob was in complete disbelief of having his sister in his arms, never expecting for one of his wishes to come true, he looked down, seeing Evie's face begin to glow which led him to a weak snicker. He stroked her hair as he hugged her before releasing her, sighing with slight sadness that he was the one that pulled away, losing his chance to keep her in his arms. Without a second thought, he kissed her temple lightly, before turning his heels, walking ahead of her.

"Let's go... people are waiting." He smiled back at her faintly, wanting to hold out his hand for her to grasp, but ended up just beckoning her over to follow.

"Y-Yeah..." She nodded, running up to him to walk beside him.

Their return home was just uncomfortable silence. Their hearts pounding, trying their best to hide it while also hiding their crimson colored faces. Jacob placed his hands in his pockets, fiddling with the cloth just to distract himself, trying to forget the feel, though failing. While Evie placed her hands behind her back, fiddling with her fingers, trying to do the same.

Once they reached home, they saw everyone from the town stand in front of their house. They froze, surprised by the gathering, suddenly being stared at. Once they were spotted, everyone cheered and shouted Happy Birthday to them, calling them over. Jacob walked forward first, heading over to his friends with a huge grin on his face. Evie watched him walk off before she headed towards their father.

"Happy Birthday, ya old chap!" One friend shouted, wrapping his arm around Jacob's neck, ruffling his hair, "How does it feel being the oldest in the group?"

"Enough..." He laughed, pushing him off of him, "Also, I'm not the oldest one here." Jacob slicked back his hair before pointing over at Evie, "She is four minutes older than me, don't forget that."

"Lighten up, buddy." Another friend nudged him, "She may be older, but you're the oldest in this group." His friend smirked.

"Yeah, yeah, yeah..." Jacob chuckled sparsely, nudging his friend in turn, "Anyway, anything fun to do? I defeated my sister this time so I get to do anything I want today." He stood tall with a sly grin, "Though I normally do anything I want, even without approval."

"Of course you do, that's the fun of it all." His friend laughed.

"Though after hearing that, how about we play the usual game your father barely ever let's you play?" One of his other friends smirked, placing his hands on Jacob's shoulders.

"Really...? You think I'm still interested in _that_ kind of game?" He scoffed.

"This year I think you would be, seeing as to how there's a certain lass that has been eyeing you ever since you've returned." Another friend chuckled as he whispered in his ear while pointing over at the young lass.

Jacob looked over, noticing the adolescent that was leering in his direction was the one that was the most popular in their school. He gave a crooked grin as he waved with a wink. There was a flock of adolescents about six feet across from the lads standing beside the young lass, giggling.

"Here's your chance, chap!" One friend pushed him towards her, making him close to falling to the ground, but he kept his balance.

"Well, well, well, if it isn't Jacob Frye." The young lass began with a grin, "How is the birthday boy this evening?" She walked closer towards him, placing her hand softly on the nape of his neck, leading him to gulp hard.

Jacob cleared his throat, a smirk appearing on his face to disguise his disquiet, "Well, I'm feeling quite grand this evening, Emily." He chuckled, "I won this years fight so I get to do anything I please." He gave a mischievous look at the young lass, _Though I normally do whatever I please even if I don't get approval from father._ He scoffed, thinking to himself.

"Oh, is that so?" The adolescent giggled, gliding her hand down to his chest slowly, "Does that mean you get to join us in the game this year?" She smirked, looking up at him.

"It appears so." He chuckled, hiding the look of displeasure, seeing as to how he didn't want to join this year.

"A pleasure to hear that." She grinned, placing her hand on the back of his neck, pulling him towards her, "I hope I end up being your partner this evening." She whispered in his ear, before brushing her lips on his cheek, soon walking back to the flock of girls.

His face became burning hot. Jacob didn't know how to take it. The young lad grabbed the collar of his shirt, fanning himself with it. He cleared his throat, trying to keep himself composed. As he cleared the fogged thought, he felt eyes on him. He looked aside, seeing Evie stare at him for a few seconds before jerking her head away from the sight of her brother. Jacob tilted his head, inquisitive on the reason she gave such a look.

"Alright birthday boy, time to get you ready!" One of his friends blindfolded him, leading him to the field, putting him in the center of the circle, surrounded by lasses that wanted to participate, "Let's see who the lucky lass is going to be this evening." His friend chuckled, spinning him slowly before releasing him.

Jacob heard all of the adolescents giggling, walking around. The young lad didn't want to participate, but he knew this was one thing that would distract him from his sister. The teen listened closely, trying to aim for Emily, seeing as to how they were just close friends, so she would understand that he wouldn't want to interact as much as he did back then, or so he viewed it that way. As Jacob walked around cautiously, he heard a familiar giggle. He reached out, following the sound. Once he grasped the person, he heard a gasp. Jacob removed his blindfold, noticing where his hands landed, pulling away as his face became as hot as a furnace.

"M-My deep apologies, Emily!" He chuckled awkwardly, rubbing the back of his neck, "I-I didn't mean to g-grab there!"

"No need for an apology, Jacob." She laughed lightly, her face slightly crimson, "I'm happy to be the lucky lady this evening. I hope you're not disappointed." Emily walked up to him, grabbing the blindfold and wrapping it around the back of his neck, pulling him towards her with a sly grin.

"You'd never be a disappointment to me." He chuckled, whispering into her ear, "If anything, I'm glad my ears led me to the most beautiful lass this evening." He wrapped one arm around her lower back, pulling her up against him as he grabbed her wrist, making her lose the blindfold as he turned with her, leaning down as though leading to a dance pose, "I'm more than happy to have ended up with you." Jacob smirked, slowly closing in the gap between them, pretending to aim for the lips, but planning to place his lips on her cheek until...

" _Ahem_... George is about to bring out the cake and father wants to know if this means you'll be staying out late this evening." Evie appeared in front of them, making him suddenly drop Emily in the process.

"Dear God, I am so sorry!" Jacob picked her up, apologizing quickly, "I-If you'll excuse me for a moment..." He kissed her cheek before he fled, catching up with Evie, "Really? Did you really have to interrupt me?!" Jacob growled as he reached Evie.

"I just wanted to inform you before you run off with that wench." Evie spoke calmly, speeding her pace a little.

"Evie!" He grabbed her arm, making her turn, "Don't be so rude! She has not done a single thing towards you!"

Evie scowled up at him, "I know she hasn't towards me, but as your eldest sister, I feel you should be more cautious on who you spend your evenings with, brother."

Evie looked at him calmly, but he felt a negative aura surrounding them both, "Goodness, Evie... what has tied your knickers in a knot?" His eyebrows knitted in disbelief by the cause of her sudden remark, "This is unlike you."

"It's nothing for you to worry about, brother." A smile came across her face as she yanked her arm away, "Let's just go have cake and inform father on how you're going to spend your evening before you leave." Evie turned her heels, leaving Jacob behind, making him feel dumbfounded.

As the evening passed, Emily stayed beside Jacob for most of the party after the twins blew out the candles and opened presents. Jacob felt eyes boaring into the back of his head as he spent his evening with friends. He kept turning to find the person, but he didn't see anyone, so he tried his best to ignore it. Jacob peeked over at Evie from time to time, his emotions blending into something he continued to struggle with as the years passed.

"Is the birthday boy happy on what he received this evening?" Emily glided her arm around his waist, popping up beside him.

"Emily..." Jacob chuckled lightly, jolted and still felt slight discomfort, "I am as happy as ever!" He grinned from ear to ear, Though I will say, there is one thing I really want, but know I could never receive... He thought to himself as he sighed subtly, "Though I will admit I am getting a tad sleepy from the party." He falsed a yawn as he stretched out his arms, "So, I might not go out to the hill this evening with you lads and lasses. My deep apologies."

"Is that so? Well, I'm quite saddened to hear that." Emily looked down, "If you're going to end your evening early, would you mind if I made a request then?" She looked up at him with a grin.

"And what would that request be?" He smiled, wary of the request, but hiding his concerns fairly well.

"A kiss?" She cocked her head to the side, giving a mischievous grin as she wrapped her arms around him.

"I-I beg your pardon...?" His face turned red once hearing her question.

"A simple kiss." She answered with a giggle.

His heart pounded hard against his chest. Jacob didn't want to start anything with other girls, seeing as to how he's in a complicated situation with his emotions at the time being. He was about to turn her down, but once he opened his lips to speak, they were sealed with a kiss. The adolescents eyes widened, stiffened by the shock wave from the sudden kiss he was not prepared for. His eyes shut tightly, praying others would not notice, but within seconds, cheers and hoots surrounded them. Once they separated their lips, all Jacob could give was a look of shock. After snapping out of his paralyzed state, his eyes searched for Evie, hoping she didn't see, but once his eyes met hers, his heart sank, especially after seeing her run off.

"I-If you'll excuse me..." Jacob softly placed his hand on Emily's arm before passing by her, pushing his way through the crowd, "Great... just great..." He covered his lips, irked for how things turned out.

 _From the look in her eyes... I've never seen that look before_. _What could it even mean...?_ Jacob ran to the abandoned barn, assuming that was where she was going to be.

The abandoned barn was a place they always went to to play together whenever having free time. Then as they grew it became a place for them to practice their aims with the crossbows, daggers, and blades George prepared for them to let them practice with. And a place to spend time alone if ever needing to clear their minds from stress caused by the tasks they were always given.

"Evie...?" He called out, beginning to search the area, "Evie! I need to talk to you!" Jacob continued to call out, trying to use his eagle vision, but was still lacking the ability.

As he looked from top to bottom, he didn't find any trace of her. He stepped outside, thinking to himself on if she went somewhere else. Jacob looked around the area, suddenly hearing familiar voices coming from the roof of the barn. He climbed his way to the top quietly, peeking up to see who it was that was up there. Once he recognized who it was, he was about to approach them, but he froze once seeing Evie's lips connect with his best friends. That evening, he felt overwhelmed to where he began to try to lock away his feelings towards her, putting effort into acting as the younger brother he felt he should be.

 _ **Present Time...**_

"So... you didn't have any means to kiss her?" Evie looked over at him, feeling slight guilt for jumping to conclusions and kissing his best friend.

"Not at all... she just pulled me in and what happened, happened unexpectedly." He sighed looking over at her, rubbing his stubble, "I'd like to ask you something, seeing as to how I recall you walking off after that sudden kiss." Jacob rested his chin on his arms, "Why did you behave abnormally that way that evening? And... why did you kiss my best friend?"

"Well..." Evie sighed lightly, looking away, trying to figure out on how to respond, "I don't really understand it myself on why I reacted in such a way, so I'm sorry I can't answer that part." She felt a minor sting in her chest as she knew she lied, "As for the kiss... Well, I... I happened to have found interest in him at the time." Her face turned slightly pink as she looked away.

The answer struck Jacob in the gut a bit, but he tried his best to get over the response, telling himself it was in the past. It still bruised him a bit, remembering the day he put as much effort to stop loving his sister in that kind of way and close to losing a friend. He sighed deeply, trying to ease the feel of agony so he could focus back on his explanation.

 _I'm sorry, brother..._ Evie thought to herself, feeling slight guilt after telling him a lie.

"Anyway... as the year passed..." Jacob sighed, relaxing all his muscles by slight depression.

 _ **Nine Years Ago...**_

Jacob still struggled accepting the fact Evie would end up with others when it was obvious it was bound to happen at some point or another. He put effort into distracting himself with others, but could never bring himself to being closer with other lasses. Seeing as to how it felt wrong of him to use other people's emotions for his own gain when in the depths of his heart, he knew nothing serious could occur between him and others he was seeing. So he just stuck around friends most of the time and tried to distract himself with training.

"Jacob?" Evie called out to him, entering the training room.

"Hm?" Jacob grunted as he was punching and kicking the punching bag.

"Have you seen father around?" The adolescent placed her leg on the bench close by, resting her arms on her leg, leaning forward.

Jacob stopped and stood up straight, tilting his head back with a groan of irritation, "No, I haven't. Why do you ask?" He looked over at Evie with a look of disatisfaction.

"I wanted to ask if he had any tasks for me today. I want to build up more of my abilities." She responded, walking up a little closer to him, though keeping a good distant so she wouldn't get hit by the bag.

"Well, I hate to tell you, but I finished the tasks he had on the list this time. You can take over tomorrow's tasks if you want." He grunted after each punch, "I'm going to be out all day tomorrow, so have fun." Jacob glanced over at Evie before focusing back on his hits.

"Where are you going to be tomorrow?" Evie questioned, suddenly joining in on punching the bag as though playing pass back.

"Does it really matter to you? Shouldn't you be spending your time with you boyfriend after you're finished with the tasks?" He smirked at her, "After all, you two seem so lovey-dovey, I thought you'd be married by now." Jacob chuckled, shaking his head, trying to hide his feeling of displeasure.

"Oh, hush, brother." Evie squinted at him, "As a matter of fact, there is nothing going on between Johnathan and I any longer." She sighed, punching harder.

Jacob grabbed the bag, peeking over with a look of confusion, "What the hell happened this time? He not pleased you always focus on the missions father hands us?" He scoffed, kicking the bag over.

"No, it's... it's something else. It's nothing to fuss over." She sighed, "I've already taken well care of what happened."

"What are you hiding, Evie?" Jacob grabbed the bag again, placing it in the center, walking towards her.

"Stop questioning about my personal life, Jacob. Mind your own like I do mine." Evie looked up at him with a stern look.

 _You sure as hell do not mind your own business, Evie_. He chortled to himself, "Fine..." He held up his hands, stepping back, _Doesn't mean I'm not going to find out on my own._ He thought to himself.

"Let's just practice on our strikes, alright?" Evie grabbed the punching bag and began to punch it.

"Your form needs to straighten a bit and your reflexes need to loosen up, too." Jacob spoke, wiping the sweat off of his face with a towel.

Evie didn't listen, she just continued onward with her strikes. The young lass tried her own types of hits, ignoring Jacob's advice since most of them tended to fail when she tested them out back then.

"Evie..." He scoffed, shaking his head as he walked up to her, "I know my suggestions are not always on point, but that's because I noticed a little too late that our physical strengths are on different playing fields." Jacob stood beside her, "Though now that I've noticed the difference in our physical strengths, I know what to advise you on, so please at least let me help you on this seeing as to how father is always away on missions now, okay?"

Jacob stopped the bag and walked back to Evie. Without even perceiving on what he was doing, he stood behind her, placing his hands on her wrists. Evie's heart began to pound out of her chest as she felt his body heat, feeling as though he was hovering over her when he placed his face beside hers, speaking in a tone that sounded raspy. As Jacob was showing how she could move faster and save stamina during fights, Evie could barely focus on the short lesson. The young lass tried her best to pay attention, but her racing heart kept deafening her hearing as she begged for Jacob not to be able to hear.

"Do you see now?" Jacob released her, standing beside her, "All that's needed, if wanting to stun them, is to just hit usual points on the body." He looked at her with a grin, "Reflexes and positions when striking at your enemies will save your strength and time." He rubbed her back and patted her shoulder before turning around, "I'm going to go out for a run, I'll see you at home later tonight. Keep practicing, sweet sister." He waved as he left the building.

"What in the world was that...?" She placed her hand on her chest, confused of the feeling, "No matter..." The young lass tried to ignore it by following his suggestion for once, even though she barely recalled on the things he stated.

 _ **Meanwhile...**_

"Now where the hell could that bloody bastard be?" Jacob questioned himself, looking around before jumping up onto the buildings to use his eagle vision, "Ah-ha! There you are, you smug bastard."

Jacob jumped a couple buildings over, waiting for the man to come closer so he could jump down and land in front of him. As the man grew closer, Jacob hopped down and landed just inches in front of the man. He jolted, stepping back with a laugh of awkwardness, about to question on why the sudden suprise, until Jacob spoke first.

"Why hello there Johnny boy." A crooked grin appeared across his face, "Mind if we chat for a moment?" Jacob placed his arm over John's shoulders, walking him into an alley.

"Wh-What is it you want to talk about...?" Johnathan asked, sounding frightened.

"Oh, just something simple I'd like to ask you." Jacob grinned, "If you don't mind me..." Within a matter of seconds, Jacob grabbed the man behind the collar and dragged him to the top of the building swiftly, holding him on the edge once they reached the top, "I'd like to ask what the bloody hell you did to my sister." His smile faded as he scowled.

"Wh-What? I-I didn't d-do anything! I-I swear!" A look of fear appeared on his face as he responded with trembling lips.

"Oh please, don't think I can't tell when you're lying." Jacob scoffed, "If you don't want your legs broken by this high fall, I suggest you answer me truthfully! What did you do to her?"

The man closed his eyes tightly, "F-Fine... I... I became a little over... over excited that I... I ended up groping her. I didn't mean to go that far and I swear to God I didn't go any further!" Johnathan looked at Jacob, scared to death.

"You did what?!" Jacob growled, pushing the man to terrify him.

"Jacob! I'm sorry, okay?! I didn't mean to do that! I apologized and everything! Please spare me!" The man looked behind himself, horrified by the height.

"You're lucky you're not going to die today, but as a warning to you and to others..." He glared at him, grabbing some rope from his back pocket, tying him up.

"Wh-What are you doing?!" Johnathan screeched.

Jacob tied the man's wrists tightly then his ankles, covered his mouth with cloth, and glued paper with writing on his shirt, "You ever touch my sister again, you'll never see the light of day." He grinned with a dark aura hovering over them, "Understood?" The man nodded fearfully, "Good." Jacob pulled out his blade and placed it along the mans neck, "See you next fall." The man stumbled back with muffled screams as he closed his eyes, scared to death of hitting the ground, but ending up dangling, swinging back and forth, leading him to pass out, "Fucking prick..." Jacob scoffed, collecting his items before fleeing the scene, hearing a crowd of laughter behind him.

 _ **Present Time...**_

"So you were the one that caused that scene?!" Evie interrupted.

"Guilty..." Jacob chuckled with fear, praying tonight isn't the night for his death.

"Goodness... proceed..." Evie was furious, having to look the other way to try to cool herself down while continuing to listen.

"Okay, okay..." He chortled softly, sighing with relief.

 _ **Nine Years Ago...**_

The younger twin returned home, catching his breath by the front door before entering his house. He inhaled as much as he could before releasing a light huff. The adolescent wiped the sweat off of his face as he entered the house. Once the young man did though, he saw an angered Evie stand before him.

"Brother...?" Evie folded her arms, a look of irritation on her face, "Mind explaining why Johnathan was dangling from a building with a piece of paper stating, Keep your hands off Evie, or else you'll end up in the same position as him?"

"What? What makes you think it was me?" He scoffed, "It could've been one of your exes."

"Jacob, stop lying and be forward with me!" She scowled, "Why did you do something so idiotic?"

"Like I said, Evie." He held up his hands with a grin, playing innocent, "I did no. Such. Thing. I swear."

Evie groaned, "I appreciate the gesture, but you needn't have done that. I put him in his place that evening, okay? You didn't need to add fear to him."

"I didn't, Evie!" Jacob guffawed, "Stop accusing me for doing such a thing."

"Stop. Lying!" Evie walked up to her brother and yanked him by the ear, her annoyance rising, "Goodness, if father were here I bet-"

"If father _were_ here, I bet he would have done the same thing to that arsehole." Jacob chuckled.

"Stop being childish for once and listen to me." She growled into his ear, making him flinch, "Goodness, brother..." She sighed as she released him, wrapped her arms around his waist, and rested her head on his chest, "Thank you, but you needn't do such things anymore, alright?" Evie looked up at him with a chuckle, releasing him, "Anyway, let's eat. George said father will be home late this evening again."

"Oh... I'd love to, Evie, but..." He looked aside as he tilted his head, rubbing the back of his neck, _I can't stay near her alone when father is away..._ He thought to himself, glancing aside, _This would be bad..._

"What? Are you having to meet your friends again?" She folded her arms, her eyebrows furrowing.

"Well, you know how my gang and I always spend our evenings once the weekend hits." He chuckled thinly, slowly backing away.

Evie sighed as she headed towards the door, "Well, if you're going to spend your evening with your friends, I might as well spend mine with someone, too." She grabbed her coat.

"Wait, with whom would you be spending your evening with, oh sister of mine?" Jacob questioned, his eyebrows knitted by concerned curiosity.

"Does it matter to you on whom I spend my evening with, brother?" She cocked her head to the side, a teasing look crossing her face.

"Well... I..." Jacob was dumbfounded on how to respond.

"Then have a fun evening fooling around with your buddies, brother." She smiled, turning around to walk out the door.

"Wait..." Jacob murmured, "I'll... I'll stay..." He looked down, _Damn this all to hell... Please Lord give me the strength to do nothing regretful..._

"What was that, brother?" Evie turned with a smirk.

"I'll stay." He looked up, a look of slight annoyance on his face, "So what's for dinner this evening, Evie?" He planted a fake grin across his face, hiding the look of irritation.

"Oh? You would like to have dinner with me? I thought you wanted to spend your evening with friends?" Evie smirked, "Why the sudden change?"

"Stop being coy with me and tell me what there is you have for us this evening." He chuckled, taking his coat off.

The young lass rolled her eyes, "What I have for us is what you and I shall make together." Evie responded.

"I beg your pardon?" Jacob scoffed, "Why must I join you on the cooking?"

"Well, if you want to leave this place, live on your own, and possibly catch a woman's heart, then cooking will be your best friend." She chuckled.

"You have got to be joking me, dear sister." Jacob scoffed with disbelief, "I... I sure as hell know a man, such as myself, could not succeed at such a task."

"Do I happen to hear a man surrendering so soon?" Evie looked up at him, "What poppycock is this that I hear?" She asked, sounding boisterous, "I thought you could do anything, Jacob Frye."

"I _can_ do anything!" Jacob scoffed, his irritation rising slowly.

"Then show me what you have, brother." She poked his chest with a smirk before turning to head to the kitchen, "May the best twin win."

"You're on!" He raced to the kitchen.

As the evening passed by, the twins were finishing up on making their meals. Jacob failed many attempts to the point of where he gave up, leaving Evie with the cooking. Several sighs escaped Jacobs lips as he rested his chin on his hand, looking over at Evie, enchanted by her appearance as she cooked. Many thoughts crossed his mind as his imagination ran wild with the thought of what she would be like as a wife when they get older. Once the thought of marriage hit Jacob's mind, he felt as though he was stabbed in the heart by the thought.

 _If she gets married... where will that leave me?_ He looked down, his heart sinking, _Would she leave me...? Would I be the one left behind?_ Jacob shook his head to clear the negative thoughts, but they continued to surround him, _Why must my mind do this to me now? We're still young and there is so much ahead of us... there can't possibly be a way for marriage to happen any time soon._ A long sigh escaped his lips as he looked back over at Evie, hearing her suddenly hum, "Hm? What is that you're humming, Evie?" He questioned her.

"Hm? Oh, you don't recall the melody grandmother hummed everytime she cooked and baked for us?" Evie looked over, surprised.

"No, I don't recall such a melody." He tilted his head to the side, looking at her like a curiously lost child.

"Do you remember the music box grandmother played for us before we fell asleep each night?" Evie questioned, placing the food on the plates.

"Are you talking about the one with a picture of mother inside...?" He questioned, the words having to be forcefully pushed out of his throat.

"Y-Yes... that one..." She turned with the plates in hand, a look of grief surfacing on her face, "I'm... I'm sorry for bringing up such a memory, brother..." Evie looked over with an involuntary grin, "It's just... that tune is so soothing, I can't help, but hum it each time I cook." The adolescent looked down, her hands suddenly trembling.

"Evie..." Jacob stood up and walked over to her, "It's a loving memory to always keep in our mind and heart." He grabbed the plates and set them aside so he could wrap his arms around her frame firmly to comfort her, "There's no need for sadness to take over such a recollection." The young man chuckled quietly, kissing her forehead, hoping to calm her.

"I know, brother... I know..." She looked up at him with a weak grin, closing her eyes to hold back the tears that were trying to break out, but they slipped between her eyelids and slid down her cheeks that she embraced him tightly to hide away the tears.

"Evie... are you crying?" Jacob questioned, his heart sinking by the thought.

"N-No, I'm not... do not worry about me, brother... just... just leave me be for a moment." Evie buried her face in his chest.

 _Dear God, please let her not hear my pounding heart..._ He prayed, wrapping his arms gently around her, resting his head on hers as she quietly weeped away the thought. The night continued on with nothing, but silence...

 _ **1868**_

 _ **Winter**_

It was a harsh winter in Crawley when the new year began. The twins had difficulty completeing tasks when snow hit the town, but they never gave up just because of the weather. At one point or another, the twins turned it into a competition to make things more... fun in a way. Though as the days passed, one eventful evening hit the twins grimly.

"What do you mean he has fallen ill?" Jacob questioned, his eyes narrowed with the feeling of incredulity, "What the hell has caused such an abrupt moment like this?!"

"Jacob, please calm down." Evie placed her hand on his shoulder, stepping forward, "What happened to our father, George?" She questioned, trying to stay calm.

"Your father has fallen ill by the cause of pleurisy." George responded, "The doctors have given him treatment and he has started taking the medication they prescribed to him."

"Pleurisy? As in inflammation of the tissues that line the lungs and chest cavity?" George nodded to the question, "He'll heal from this, right...?" Evie looked up at him with a concerned look.

"The possibility of recovery is thin..." He looked down, "We'll have to pray and see how things will turn out. May the Creed guide him." George responded with a sound of hope in his tone.

" _Creed this, Creed that._ Christ... when has it ever supported us?" Jacob growled, mumbling to himself as his fists clenched tightly.

"Do not speak the word in vain, Jacob! It has helped us throughout our lives while we've grown!" Evie turned, speaking sternly.

"Oh? It has, has it now?" Jacob glared at her, "Has it kept grandmother safe? Has it given mother strength while giving birth to us? Will it keep father from dying? Explain to me how it has helped us throughout our life, Evie! Explain to me that!"

Evie fell silent by the harsh words leaving his lips. Her faith did not die down, but with what Jacob has pointed out, they were valid. She had the negligible clue on how to retaliate those remarks, but nothing could come out. There were no valid points to go against his questions. She had no answers. All she could do was look down with a groan at that point.

"Precisely... now if you'll excuse me..." Jacob stormed out, not caring that the coldness was hitting his skin as he left the house with a fuss.

"Jacob!" Evie ran after him, "Jacob, get back inside! The cold will be the death of you if you don't put something warm on!"

"Nothing matters to me right now, Evie!" He turned, looking over at her, "I don't care if this storm hits me hard and buries me in this snow!"

"Jacob! Stop being ridiculous for once!" Evie ran up to him, facing him, "I don't want to lose you!"

"Oh, please... as if I ever mattered to you." He rolled his eyes, about to turn away, but was abruptly stopped by a slap to the face.

"Jacob Frye! Don't you dare speak like that! You matter to me as much as grandmother, mother, and father! Stop being childish and listen to me, brother!" She wrapped her arms around him tightly, "If father... if father doesn't pull through, you're all I'll have left, brother... I don't want to lose you... so please... stay, brother... I beg of you..." She whimpered, burying her face in his chest.

Jacob was dumbstruck by the sudden slap. He placed his hand on the cheek she hit then looked down at her, suddenly realizing the words that left his lips, leaving him with guilt sharply stabbing him in the chest over and over. The young man shook his head, closing his eyes tightly, wrapping his arms around Evie, concealing his face between her head and shoulder. Jacob trembled once he realized the reality of the matter, suddenly letting every emotion he has hid about his father with the look of hatred, shed out into the open and into Evie's hold.

"I'm sorry, Evie... I'm sorry..." He wheezed, gripping onto her tightly, "I just... I have the slightest fucking clue on what to do right now..." The young man spat out, "With the relationship I have with father right now... I don't even know if I could connect with him after the amount of times he and I fought... I know I can't take things back, so I don't know what..."

"Jacob..." Evie spoke softly, "There may be little time left, yes, but you can still make amends with father with the time he has left." All she received was a faint nod.

"Evie! Jacob! Come quick!" George yelled out once finding the twins, "It's your father!"

Within seconds, they bolted back to their home without a stop for breath. Once reaching their home, they saw a doctor leave their house. They froze in place, fearing to walk in. The twins looked at George who was beckoning them to hurry inside. The twins slowly walked in the house, looking petrified. As they entered, they heard coughing in their father's room.

"Father!" Evie ran to their father once entering, "Is everything okay? How are you feeling, father?" She knelt down beside his bed, relieved to see him still breathing.

"All is well, Evie." He chuckled lightly, "I just need time to rest and heal. Everything will be fine."

"Father..." Jacob softly spoke, walking into his room, "Do you need anything...?" The young man looked at him, having difficulty communicating with him.

"No thank you, son." Their father looked up at him with a faint grin as he shook his head.

Jacob nodded, "Then if you'll excuse me..." He turned his heels, trying to keep his emotions kept tightly inside him so he could release all of them elswhere.

"Brother..." Evie was about to stand up to stop him, but their father placed his hand on her arm gently, gesturing to leave him be.

As the days passed, the twins took turns on helping their father heal. It looked as though he was healing just fine as the weeks passed which made the twins feel relieved by seeing the change in his conditions. Everything was going well, especially when the communication between Jacob and his father was beginning to improve. Until one evening...

"What do you mean you've arranged things, father?" Jacob was baffled.

"Time is of the essence, son." Ethan responded, "You are to meet the heiress of the most prestige that this family has protected for several years."

"Hold on one moment, are you stating I'm having to marry someone of your choosing?!" Jacob's voice rose as he stood up with a look of irritation.

"Son... I'm sorry to have brought this upon you so suddenly, but to keep this families connections with our allies tied tightly together with a firm grip, we are needing you, the sole heir of this family, to marry the heiress." Ethan stated, staring up at Jacob severely.

"You have got to be fucking joking with me, father!" Jacob scowled with gritted teeth, "Please tell me this is a bloody lie!"

"I would appreciate it if you could refrain yourself from cursing and my sincere apologies, but no, Jacob, this is not a lie..." He looked down, "You are to marry her by the end of this fall."

"By the end of this fall...?" Jacob scoffed, "No! I refuse such requests henceforth!"

"I'm sorry, but you have no choice in the matter, son!" His father stated firmly.

"Don't you ever call me son! If I'm not able to choose my own path, then I'd rather be left behind to rot on the streets than be your son!" Jacob glared sharply at his father before briskly turning around, storming out of the room.

"Jacob!" Ethan yelled out, but Jacob didn't stop, he left the house with anger.

"Is it true, father...?" Evie entered with a look of anguish.

All their father could do was close his eyes with a nod. As the days continued to pass, Evie was left at home to take care of their father, with the support of George at times, while Jacob stayed away from home after the conflict he had with his father. He spent his days with training and his friends and spent his evenings exploring factories and gambling dens. The young man tried to stay level headed by distracting himself with several activities, but with the town being so small, there wasn't much to do, leaving him with the feel of anger continuing to rise.

Jacob was returning home one late evening, exhausted from his training. He saw the light on in the living room so he did his usual routine of jumping up to his bedroom window. Once he entered, a yawn left his lips, leading him to wanting to fall right into slumber once landing on his bed, but once he entered his room, he saw a sleeping Evie lying right on his bed.

"Shit..." Jacob groaned, knowing fully well this was not a good sign for him, This isn't good... why the hell is she on my bed...? He questioned himself, I better leave before anything happens. As he was about to leave, he heard words leave Evie's lips, leading him to jolt.

"Jacob... don't leave me..." She mumbled as she turned in her sleep.

"Jesus, Evie..." He looked at her, pain piercing sharply in his chest, "Why are you doing this to me, God...? Why did you lead me to falling in love with my sister, soon leading me to an engagement I wish does not proceed?" Jacob fell to his knees, resting his head on the side of his bed, clenching onto the sheets.

"Jacob...?" He flinched once feeling the warm touch of soft skin on his cheek.

"Evie?!" He jerked back, praying she didn't hear what he said, but once he looked up, he saw Evie was still fast asleep, "What the devil...? Who the hell said my name?" He looked around, not seeing any other single soul around, "I must be losing it from stress..." He shook his head, chuckling lowly. As several seconds passed, after admiring his sisters sleeping form, he soon fell into a deep slumber, resting his head on his bedside.

"Jacob! Jacob! Wake up!" Evie shook him hard in his sleep.

"Hm? What? What do you want, Evie?" Jacob groaned with annoyance, half asleep.

"It's father! He's... he's..." The young woman fell silent, pulling him off the floor, shoving him to their father's room.

"What the bloody hell is going on, Evie?" He looked behind him, at Evie, as he was being forcefully shoved into their father's room, "Why are you- Father!" Once Jacob's eyes landed onto his father's body, he bolted to him, "Father! Please wake up! Father!" He gripped onto his father's pale hand, "What the hell happened?! I thought father was healing just fine these past few weeks!" Jacob looked up at Evie.

"...These past few days... his conditions began to worsen..." Evie looked down, struggling to continue, "He passed this early morning..."

"Christ... why...? Why the hell did this happen?!" He rested his head on the matress as one hand gripped onto their father's hand while the other slammed onto the matress over and over.

"He... He wanted me to hand you this last night, brother..." Evie pulled out a white sheet of paper from her coat pocket, "It appears to be a contract of some sort..."

"A contract of what?" Jacob looked up at the piece of paper, grabbing it with trembling hands, "For Christ's sake... why... why now?!" He clenched the paper after reading, tears pouring down his face as he closed his eyes tightly, "You damn bastard! Why did you leave before I could even say anything to you?!" He fell into a fetal position, burying his head between his legs, "WHY DID THINGS HAVE TO END LIKE THIS?!" The young man cried out.

Once the harsh winter passed, their father's funeral began. The twins were dressed in black and were to meet several other people from both, their town and their brotherhood, at their father's funeral. Evie cried lightly while Jacob stared blankly at their father's casket. Everyone mourned over the news and gave their sympathy for the loss of Ethan Frye who meant so much to many. Once their father was buried, the twins were left under Geroge's wing to continue on their training.

Once the funeral came to an end, everyone began to leave after saying their good-byes, leaving the twins be the last two standing at their father's grave. Evie was about to leave, walking closer to Jacob to tell him it's time they should head home. The young woman placed her hand on his arm, but he jerked away, walking into the opposite direction.

"Jacob? Where are you going?" Evie questioned, beginning to worry.

Jacob didn't respond, leading Evie to follow after him. She stood in front of him, stopping him so she could receive an answer from him.

"Jacob..." Evie looked up at him with saddened eyes, hoping to get an answer.

"Just leave me alone..." Jacob passed by her, but she stopped him again.

"Not until you tell me where you're heading off to." She looked at him with a look of concern.

"It's none of your goddamn business, Evie!" Jacob growled, "Just leave me be!" He shoved his way through, storming off.

As their distance increased, she ran up to him and embraced him from behind, "Bloody hell, Evie..." Jacob huffed, his body trembling as he struggled to hold in his tears, "Just please... for the love of God just please leave me the hell alone..." His voice crackled as his hands clenched tightly.

"No... Never, brother!" She hid her face in his back, squeezing him even tighter.

Jacob looked up at the sky that was beginning to turn gray, tears streaming down his face as he felt he was suffocating from air. He felt he couldn't take much more of what was going on. The young man wanted nothing to do in this life after what has been happening, but the thing that pulled him back. The one thing that made his shattered heart whole again and put back into place were the three simple words that left Evie's lips.

"I love you." She whispered, gripping him tightly, "I love you so much, Jacob..."

In the back of his mind, he knew those words were just meant as a brother and sister love, but it brought him back to reality and made him turn. He embraced Evie tightly and released every emotion he held deeply within his heart. That day, he bawled into Evie's shoulder, releasing all the sadness. All the anger. All the guilt. Everything that weighed him down for years as they grew up together. Every emotion finally lifting off of his shoulders as he let out every tear he has held back for so long...

 _ **Present Time...**_

"Well, time for something you've been dying to hear..." Jacob chuckled faintly, staring blankly in front of him.

 _ **1869**_

 _ **Winter**_

After Evie's leave, Jacob wasn't doing so well. His drinking became heavy. His agression rose. His stability went haywire. It felt as though to Jacob, everything was colliding down on him. The young man felt his life spiralling out of control to where he felt completely lost. He didn't care how things were turning out as the days passed by. Jacob just wished this feeling of misery would come to an end.

"Happy Holidays, Mr. Frye." Rose smiled at him, holding out a present.

"Hm? What's this...?" Jacob questioned, setting his beer mug down after chugging it.

"A present for you. Today is Christmas after all." She smiled brightly towards him.

"Ah... of course..." He chuckled lightly, "Just another holiday to spend in misery." He scoffed, "I appreciate the earnest gesture, but there's no need to hand me such a gift. After all, I came here empty handed, as you can see, and here I am, keeping you away from celebrating such a holiday with those who are most dear to you, Ms. Moore."

Rose felt dumbfounded by the statement, "Well..." She looked down, her face become faintly pink, "You're not keeping me away from others, Mr. Frye." She chuckled lightly, "If anything, you're keeping me company. And... you're a very dear person to me." The young lass looked up at him.

Jacob scoffed, shaking his head slowly, "You're making a grave mistake, Ms. Moore." He chugged down his fifth pint of beer before standing up, "It's best you not waste time on a man like me. Hell, I can't even call myself a man with the position I led myself into." Jacob laughed lowly, "Thank you for the great beer you serve here. Have a nice evening, Ms. Moore." He left money on the bar and tipped his hat before leaving, leaving the gift behind in her hands.

Rose just watched Jacob walk away with sadness filling the air. As he left the building he heard a young woman's scream nearby. He looked around fast and noticed it was one of his Rooks. Jacob rushed his way toward her and kicked the Blighter in the side that was assaulting her before throwing a dagger straight to the head.

" _Che nessuno ricordi il tuo nome. Riposa in pace_." Jacob murmured, "Rot in hell for all I care." He placed his dagger back in his cane before turning, "Is everything alright Ms...?" When Jacob turned, he froze in place, falling silent.

"Ah... Mr. Frye... M-My apologies, I'm still new to this gang and my physical strength is still improving..." The young lass looked down, biting her bottom lip, "How embrrassing..." She covered her face, "My deepest apologies, sir!" The young woman bowed.

"Th-There's really no need to apologize, Ms...?" Jacob lifted her head as he chuckled, looking deeply into jet colored eyes.

"C-Call me Margaret..." She looked up at him with a sheepish smile, "I am lower class than you after all."

"Don't be absurd, I must call you by your last name out of courtesy, Ms...?" He chuckled lightly, still gazing into her eyes as he waited for her to state her last name.

"Ms... Ms. Margaret Gale. At your service." She grinned up at him.

"Well, it's a pleasure to meet you." He placed his hand on her petite shoulder, "I'm looking forward to working with you, Ms. Gale."

"As am I, Mr. Frye." A huge grin crossed her face, "As am I. Well, have a nice holiday, I shall return to my post. I bid thee farewell, Mr. Frye." She waved him goodbye, running off.

"Margaret Gale... Hm..." He mumbled to himself, intrigued to learn more about her.

 _ **Present Time...**_

"There was another woman?" Evie asked, surprised by the sudden name appearing.

Jacob just nodded, his look becoming more dismal as the memory began to go further back.

"But what about Rose? She said you kept visiting her every evening with cuts and bruises." Evie stated.

"I trained every evening at fight clubs and afterwards I like to drink to ease the pain." Jacob responded.

"Then what about Margaret? Were you seeing both of them?" The young woman questioned, baffled.

"I beg your pardon...?" Jacob was perplexed by the question, "Of course not! I'm not that kind of man, Evie!" He gave her a look of offensiveness.

"Alright, brother... alright..." She held up her hands, _Then was Rose lying on that part...? Evie questioned herself, It doesn't matter... I should just continue listening..._

 _ **1869**_

 _ **Spring**_

"Hey, Gregory?" Jacob gestured one of his men over, "Do you happen to know a young lass named Margaret Gale?"

"Margaret Gale? Are you talking about one of the new recruits?" The man asked.

"Oh, so she is new. How long has she been with us?" He asked, curious.

"Well, last I heard she used to be a Blighter who joined our side last month. She used to work in Westminster before our men took over. Once we took care of that Warlord in Westminster, only half of the blighters took our side while the rest chose death. She used to be one of the top in that gang before she joined us." Gregory responded, "So she will be quite useful to us."

"One of the top, hm...?" Jacob scoffed, "Thanks for the information, Gregory. I'll come by later again so we can do our usual rounds before nightfalls." He said, patting his back before running off to find Margaret.

Within a matter of time, he found her with a group of his men, talking to them in the park in Lambeth. As he approached the group, he waved his men off, signalling them to leave them be. The young lass wondered where the others were going, about to follow, but stopped once hearing Jacob's voice.

"Your physical strength is still improving now, is it? Ms. Gale?" Jacob asked with a chuckle, "Last I heard, you were at the top of your previous gang. Mind explaining to me why you were dishonest on your strength?"

"W-Well, you see... Mr. Frye I..." Margaret chuckled lightly, nervousness taking her course.

"We don't normally welcome liars in this gang, Ms. Gale. So if you want to stay in it, then explain to me why you did so in the first place." The gang leader spoke firmly.

"Alright... alright... to be honest, with the amount of work that was given to me in my former gang I just couldn't handle much more of it." She looked up at him with a look of intimidation, "I'm sorry for acting weak and my apologies for rigging the fight, but I literally wanted to free myself from that wretched Warlord I worked for the past three years."

"Wait, what do you mean you rigged the fight? You couldn't possibly have-"

"Oh, please." She scoffed, "You think eliminating that Warlord would be as easy as pie? If I didn't do anything to the leaders shoes and the shoes of half of those Blighters, most of your men would have died during that fight."

"Excuse me? I take offense to such words. What the bloody hell makes you think my men couldn't take them?" He glared at her, his interest beginning to change.

"Their stances were off, their hits were firm, but weak, their blocks were horrible, their weapons need to be upgraded, and their abilities need to improve if wanting to survive surprise attacks, Mr. Frye." She looked at him with a stern look, "Need I say more?"

Jacob was stunned by her automatic response, his interest returning, "I'm quite impressed of your observations. I shall take note on that matter." He chuckled, slightly offended, but still amused, "Any other suggestions, Ms. Gale?"

"As long as I'm not having to overwork, I'd be gladly to assist you on defeating the other Warlords and convince the Blighters to join us from the different cities." Margaret smirked, which ended up hitting Jacob straight in the chest, charmed by her radiant beauty and her keen eye, "Do we have a deal, Mr. Frye?"

"Heh... you have yourself a deal, Ms. Gale." He smirked, shaking hands with her.

As months passed, their bond became strong quite instantly than they both ever expected, to the point of where their charisma led them both closer to each other than ever before. Within a few months, they both found interest amongst one another as their time spent together increased day by day. They trained the Rooks and themselves everyday. They've kept everything up-to-date. They've taken down almost every Warlord in London faster than they ever expected. And after every event ending with success, they've always ended their day with something they've kept a tight and secure secret from everyone.

"Well, how is my lovely assistant doing this quiet evening?" Jacob wrapped his arms around Margaret from behind, whispering huskily in her ear.

"Quite well, Mr. Frye." She smirked, glancing over at Jacob.

"Oh, Ms. Gale, you know you needn't use formality when speaking to me." He chuckled lightly, nipping her ear.

"When it comes to business, I must call you by your last name." Margaret turned and wrapped her arms around the back of his neck

"But there is no one in sight. So please, do call me by my first name when we are alone." The young man inching closer to her.

"Oh, Mr. Frye, I must say, it's more thrilling to think of the positions we are in and how close we are to getting caught when both doors are unlocked." She giggled, inching closer to him in turn, "Don't you agree?" The young woman whispered before meeting his lips.

 _ **Present Time...**_

"Alright, enough. No need to go on further with your romantic life." Evie waved her hand, stopping Jacob from describing a scene she does not want to hear, "Please go a little further ahead."

"Do I happen to hear a hint of jealousy, oh sister of mine?" He chuckled, glancing over at her.

"Just continue on further ahead. Goodness..." She threw a pillow in his face, looking away, hiding her reddened face, "You don't hear me talking about the life I had with Henry..."

Jacob shook his head with a chuckle, "Alright, alright..."

 _ **1869**_

 _ **Summer**_

"Are you positive our gang is prepared to go against the strongest Warlord in London?" Margaret asked, worried, "From the things I've heard about him, his gang is strong and his methods are quite harsh..."

"With the amount of training we've done with our men the past several months, the supplies and weapons we've continuously upgraded, and the methods we've talked to them about, I'm quite sure our men can help take down that Warlord and those blighters easily. And with you by our side, I'm positive we will be able to make it through anything." Jacob rubbed Margaret's back before walking ahead, "Let me talk to Freddy once more before we head out, I'll be back shortly."

"Okay..." Margaret spoke lowly.

Nightfall arrived and Jacob and his gang were heading over to Whitechapel to do a sneak attack, but once they reached the destination they were ambushed.

"What the bloody hell?!" Jacob shouted, "Give it your all, men!" The young man yelled, signalling to attack and follow the routine he and Margaret suggested to them several times.

Everyone fought as hard as they could as their life depended on it. Jacob was caught up on fighting Blighter after Blighter that he noticed too late that every one of his men were lying on the ground. Dead. He could barely focus after seeing all of his men on the ground. His heart pounded as his mind went straight to Margaret, trying as fast he could to find her as he defended himself.

"Shit..." He mumbled to himself, "Please be alive..." Jacob continued to kill every Blighter that was near, putting all of his anger to avail.

As he was fighting his way through, trying all his might to make it through while searching for Margaret, his eyes landed on someone dressed in black, fleeing the scene. He put his eagle vision to use that once he got a closer look at the figure, that was escaping the fight, he noticed it was Margaret. Before he knew it. He snapped by the thought of Margaret two timing him after seeing her in a uniform he was oh so familiar with. Within a matter of minutes, every man was down. After the fight was finished, he ran off to find the person who fled.

"So, you chose to continue to lie to me, hm? Ms. Gale?" Jacob threw a dagger at a tree, landing inches away from her face.

"Heh... caught me." Margaret peeked over with a chuckle.

"Why the bloody hell did you do this to me?!" Jacob approached her, anger rising to his very core, "Were you the cause of my mens' death?! Why the bloody hell did you do this to us?!" The young man pinned her against the tree, "Was everything a goddamn lie?!"

"Heh... you don't know much about London and what it has in the shadows, do you Mr. Frye?" She turned to face him, "I will admit, most of the things were a lie, but my affection toward you were quite real." Margaret looked down with a small sigh, then soon looked up to him with sadness in her eyes.

"Stop deceiving me already!" He pushed her against the tree, glaring daggers at her, "Tell me the truth about yourself now or else tonight will be your very last!"

"Quite feisty this evening, hm?" She chuckled lightly, looking up at him with a smirk, "You think you would be able to kill me? After all the things we've been through together? After all the time we've spent together? After all the alone time we've spent each night?" Margaret placed her hand along his neck gently, massaging his cheek with her thumb, getting closer to him, "Don't think I don't recall every weak spot of yours, Mr. Frye." A growl left his lips as he shuddered by her touch, "Even though there are several misdeeds I have done, I doubt you would have the will to kill me." She scoffed, "I am truly sorry about the loss of your men, but-"

"Heh... appears you're really asking for a death wish this evening, Ms. Gale." Jacob hissed in her ear, "It was a pleasure knowing you _. Faccio questo sacrificio per il bene piu grande. Riposare in pace, Ms. Gale..._ "

"What are you stating-?!" Those were her last few words before Jacob put all his might in piercing his blade straight into her gut.

Jacob pulled out his blade, wiped the blood, and turned, "Christ... why did things have to end this way?" Jacob closed his eyes tightly, looking away from Margaret's body, unable to see the woman he thought he loved, lie dead on the ground, "Heh... what a fool I am." When he turned he got stabbed by a couple of Blighters who happened to have been near, "Son of a..." Jacob put full force into killing them before dashing off to Rose's bar, the place he feels is his safe haven, which was thankfully near.

 _ **Present Time...**_

"I presume Rose informed you on what happened from there?" He glanced over, expecting a nod which is what he received, "Of course..." He laughed faintly.

"I'm sorry, brother..." Evie whispered.

"There's no need for you to apologize, Evie." He scoffed, "You took no part in this whatsoever."

"Which is why I'm apologizing, brother!" The young woman looked over at him with sadness in her eyes, "If I were here none of this would have happened to you!"

"The past is the past, dear sister... What happened, must have happened for a reason." He chuckled, shaking his head.

"Brother..." She spoke weakly.

"Please do not worry, Evie..." He looked down with a crooked grin.

"Well... before you continue... I'd like to ask you one thing." She clenched her hands tightly, glimpsing over at him.

"Hm?" Jacob looked over.

"If you loved me for so long... why were you with someone else? Why did you end up with others?" She questioned.

"Well, what the hell did you expect, Evie?" Jacob scoffed, "Did you expect me to be alone the rest of my life, still loving you? God was it hard enough to stand back and watch you be with others..." The young man looked away, "My heart knew it could never let my love for you die, but my mind knew it was unhealthy of me to suffer in such a way I could not heal from. So lets be realistic here, Evie... I needed to try and move on." He looked over at her with a look of misery in his eyes.

"Of course..." She shook her head with a scoff.

"Heh... though... after looking back at it... in a way..." He looked away, hiding his reddened face, "She was like you." Jacob looked back over, "The same strength. The same intelligence. The same ability. Practically everything about her... reminded me of you..." The young man looked down, his face still as red as a tomato.

"Brother..." She chuckled faintly.

"Anyway..." Jacob said, continuing on with the past.

 _ **1870**_

 _ **Winter**_

"Well, if it isn't the famous, Jacob Frye." Roth spoke loudly with a huge grin across his face when Jacob entered the theatre, "Care to have a drink with me?" The man held up a beer mug and a bottle of alcohol.

"Famous? Heh... if anything, I'm just a simple young man trying to keep London safe." He laughed, sitting down.

"Oh, don't be modest!" Roth laughed, nudging Jacob, "A strong man like you, saving the citizens in London is, of course, a hero."

Jacob's face turned slightly red, covering his face with his mug as he drank, "Heh... so, what did you want me here for?"

"Nothing more than a drink, young man." He grinned, "I must say, it's quite an honor to be next to the man who led Starrick straight to his downfall."

"Heh... that bloke was nothing, but a waste of existence in London." Jacob scoffed, finishing his pint of beer.

"Well, seeing as to how he's gone, how about you and I work together to rid the rest of his men?" Roth asked.

"Why would you want to help me? I've been picking off your soldiers one by one, doesn't that make you angry?" Jacob looked at him with a perplexed look.

"Angry? Far from it young man." He laughed, "If anything, it has helped me find out on who were the weakest links. Plus, the entertainment has ridden my boredom quite fast."

"You're quite an odd one, you know that?" Jacob chuckled, amused.

"I'll take honor in those kind words of yours, Mr. Frye." Roth grinned, "So, do we have a deal, Mr. Frye?" He held up his glass, "Will you let me help you, help me on ridding the rest of Starrick's men?"

Jacob was hesitant for a moment, looking down, thinking to himself before looking up at the man, "You have yourself a deal." Jacob smirked, clinking his glass with Roth's.

A few days passed and everything was quite jolly for the two. They had some fun times while they were herding all of Starricks men, shipping them away or sending them off on train. Some were difficult to handle, but Jacob succeeded nonetheless on gathering Starrick's connections. As the days continued onward smoothly, Roth planned to end their time together with a bang. And that being explosives set around a building with all of Starrick's plans and contracts that were no longer in use, both wanting to put everything to an end for the fun of it.

"Everything's all rigged up." Jacob grinned, looking forward to the results.

"Perfect! Let's put our plan into action... Stand back!" Roth said, looking below at his men, "Ready..."

"Wait!" Jacob shouted.

"Whatever for?" Roth yelled out with a look of irritation by the hold up.

"There are children in there!" Jacob glared, pointing down at the building.

"Jacob, my dear, Starrick used child labor to manufacture all of his things. We must put an end to this once and for all." Roth laughed.

"Not like this." Jacob narrowed his eyes, exposing his look of disbelief.

"Why not? I can do whatever I damn well please! Soon you will understand what it is to be free, as I am." He glared at the young man, "Light 'em up, boys!" He signalled his men.

"No!" Jacob swooped down, knocking out his men.

"What the hell are you doing?!" The man yelled.

"We're not playing games anymore, Roth!" Jacob shouted, glaring up at the man, running up to the building where the children were.

"No. We're not..." Roth said lowly, pressing the button to set everything off, putting the building on fire, watching Jacob dash toward it to save the children.

Once he saved every last child that was in the building, Lewis, Roth's servant, approached him with a letter in hand. A grim look across his face as he held out a letter to Jacob.

"You surely asked for the death penalty, Mr. Frye..." Lewis spoke, "And not just for you, but for many others. May God have mercy on you." He said, before walking away.

"This game ends now you damn bastard." Jacob said to himself, gripping onto the letter, heading towards the theatre.

Jacob rushed to the theatre to ends things once and for all with that ruthless man. Anger boiled up inside Jacob as he recalled all the things that have gone wrong the past couple of years. He couldn't believe himself on how things have been turning out. He's been lied to, cheated, and close to facing death as he fought alone. With the things he has suffered through the past year, he couldn't take much more of it.

"Maxwell Roth?! Expose yourself! Now!" Jacob rushed into the theatre, entering the backstage, holding out his blade.

"Ah, Jacob, my boy." Roth sighed with a chuckle, "Quite pleasant to have the honorable guest tonight. And the main attraction for our performance."

"Where the hell are you getting at, Roth?" Jacob glared, looking around to find him.

"Ladies and Gentleman, I have for you here today the infamous, Jacob Frye!" Roth signaled his men to pull the curtains.

Once the curtains were pulled back, there were tons of Warlords and Blighters that filled the theatre. All were glaring daggers at the young man, leading Jacob's eyes to widen with full concern. Though once thinking of the outcomes and the thought of two birds with one stone came to mind, he decided to wing it. Per usual. But before he could attempt an attack, he was grabbed by two men, under tight restraints.

Roth stood before him with a sly grin, "Well, it's quite a shame to see the strongest man in London reach his breaking point." The man grabbed Jacob's chin and looked deeply into his eyes, "Quite a shame indeed."

"Go to hell, you fucking bastard!" Jacob spat in his face, his irritation rising as he struggled to release himself from their tight hold.

Roth wiped the spit off his face with his handkerchief, looking at the young man with a piercing glare, "It's sad to see quite a handsomely strong man go. Well, no matter. There will be several others right after you, of course." A smirk crossed his face, "It was a pleasure knowing you, Mr. Frye." He planted a forced kiss on his lips before turning, "Have fun with him, lads and lasses." Roth walked off, waving farewell to the young man.

"You fucking arsehole!" Jacob growled, "This isn't over!"

"No, it isn't, darling." Roth turned, looking at Jacob with a grin from ear to ear, "The fun has just begun." He sat down, crossing his legs as he awaited for a show.

Jacob kneed one of the men in the stomach, leading him to fall, then pulled out one of his hidden blades, plunging the other man in throat before slitting the one that was lying on the floor by the cause of Jacob's kick. Once he freed himself, several men went in for an attack, but Jacob dodged each and every one of their hits. Slitting, piercing, or shooting each person he passed. He rolled his way to one of the ropes and cut it, shooting him up to the top, away from all the men that were below. When he began to run swiftly on one pipe to another, he got grazed by a bullet from one of the Blighters.

"Shit!" The young man tried to avoid each and every shot, "Those smug bastards..."

He looked around after he found a safe place to hide. The young man tried to think of how to get back at that man. He saw an opening. A rope was dangling just above Roth's head, once Jacob noticed, he took the opportunity to pull the man up by wrapping the rope tightly around his neck, dragging him up to the very top. There Roth was, dangling from the rope, seeing Jacob's deathly glare. Roth was gripping onto the rope, trying to keep himself away from suffocating. A grin appeared on the older man's face before they both said their good-bye's.

"May your madness end here and now, Roth..." Jacob growled.

"Heh... I'll see... you in hell... Darling..." He scoffed as he choked, awaiting for his death.

"Farewell." Jacob pulled Roth towards him and plunged his blade straight into the man's throat before throwing him out the window.

Before Jacob planned his escape, he saw several torches hanging on the wall near the stage. There he found his opportunity. The young man threw knife after knife at the torches and saw the theatre begin to go up in flames, leading him to head to the window soon after. Jacob jumped out the window, leading himself into a leap of faith. Once he landed, he hopped out and blocked the doors, having all the Warlords and Blighters burn to ashes. Jacob turned, seeing the man he just killed lying down on the cold floor. His anger simmered as he pulled out his handkerchief, wiping off his blood.

 _ **Present Time...**_

"I presume Freddy told you the rest?" Jacob chuckled, looking over at her, seeing her nod, "Heh... of course..." He shook his head, filled with disbelief, "Well... from then on, I ended up becoming more cautious around those I worked with." He rubbed the back of his neck, looking down.

"I feel you're hiding one other story, Jacob..." Evie looked over, knitting her eyebrows.

"What makes you so sure I am, Evie?" He glanced over, one eyebrow raised.

"The first one broke your heart. The second one broke your trust. And the third one I feel you're hiding ended up being the one that broke you completely... which is what led you to becoming, something I can't believe I'm about to say, the wise and intelligent young man you are now..." She scoffed, looking at him with skepticism.

"Heh... the third one is nothing compared to the very first thing that broke me..." He scoffed.

"Oh? So Margaret was the one that broke you the most?" Evie questioned.

"Margaret? Ha... sure she broke my heart, but that was nothing compared to what I dealt with for the past twenty years, Evie." Jacob stood up, beginning to feel irritated.

"Oh? So, I'm the one that caused this?!" Evie said, feeling offended.

"Look... I'm not blaming you for what has been happening these past years, but my time spent with you has been agonizing me. My thoughts about you has been torturous. And my time apart from you kills me." Jacob mumbled, trying to calm himself, "It has brought nothing, but grievance on my part as the years passed, Evie. I don't know what to fucking do. I'm sorry, Evie... I really am."

Evie looked away, sighing deeply to rid the petty anger, "I'm sorry, too..." She looked down, speaking lowly, "For how things have turned out for you, brother... I am deeply sorry I did not see things sooner."

"Heh... even if you did notice, I doubt anything good would have come from it." Jacob laughed faintly, "You are my sister, after all." He looked over at her, "I would have been sent to the madhouse if my feelings were ever exposed..."

"You and I both, brother... you and I both..." Evie chuckled lightly.

"Where are you getting at, Evie?" Jacob cocked his head to the side.

"After you tell me your last story, I will do as I promised, Jacob." She smiled, "I will tell you my side once you finish with yours."

"Evie..." Jacob groaned, annoyed by her look of teasing, "Fine... I give..."

 _ **1871**_

 _ **Spring**_

The season was peaceful and everything seemed to have been calm once Jacob and his Rooks took care of every city in London. He has lost some of his member's during the fights, but gave them honor and supported those who had families. Jacob got the hang of finances, supply and demand, and even cooking with the support of his allies on the train. He has helped several civilians in needs, including all of his associates. There were times when things became a feud, but with what the gang leader has learned as the days passed, the one main key he kept in his mind was to never give up nor give in. Jacob spent his days doing his usual routines with the Rooks and assisted many citizens that were in need of help and ended his days spending time with Rose at her bar after fighting and before heading home. All was well in Jacob's view, until one fateful evening struck him hard.

"What the devil are these? Where the hell did you get these?! Who are you?! Show yourself, you coward!" Jacob crumbled up pieces of paper he received in the mail one morning, "What the hell makes you think this blimey shit is true?!"

"Well, by the way you're reacting right now, sure makes it quite revealing, Jacob Frye." Someone chuckled, "Plus, that letter you threw away made things oh, so helpful. And lets not forget how helpful a friend of mine was that happened to have made perfect timing to take this picture of you and your dear sister. " The person chuckled, throwing a copy of the letter and photo toward him, "You can do whatever you please with that one. I have plenty more I could easily send to the reporters as you can see."

Jacob went pale after seeing an old letter he threw away and a picture he never knew existed, soon leading his face to turn red by the cause of anger, "Expose yourself now!" Jacob shouted, throwing the crumpled up letter and photo on the floor and stepping on the copies, ripping them both apart with his shoe, "Who the hell are you and why are you doing this to me?!"

"You needn't know who I am, Mr. Frye." The person responded with the sound of amusement, "All you need to know, is what you have to do for me in order for things not to become... exposed to those that are close to you. So listen to me closely and clearly. Understood, Mr. Frye?"

"What are your terms?" Jacob growled, his hands turning into fists.

"If all of my requests goes smoothly well, then all of these photos and letters will be dissolved." The person sounded diverted.

"Fine... what is it you ask of, you fucking prick?" Jacob asked, gritting his teeth.

"There will be shipment after shipment each week this whole season arriving at the docks in the Thames." The person threw a map, leading to an abandoned factory in Westminster, "If you bring them to this location for the rest of this season, all of those copies will be gone. Deal?"

"Christ..." Jacob groaned, "Deal. Shall we shake on it?" The young man smirked as he narrowed his eyes.

"I say our words of agreement is good enough, Mr. Frye." The person chuckled, "You start tomorrow."

Jacob was both stressed and irritated of how things ended up this way. He had a gut feeling to never reach that point in life, in yet his hormones when he was a teen nudged him to something he regretted ever since.

 _ **Present Time...**_

"What was it you wrote and did, brother...?" Evie asked with the sound of concern.

Jacob was silent for several seconds before he stood up and grabbed something out of one of the drawers from his desk, "It's nothing that big of a deal, but if you really must know..." He mumbled, "I happened to have kept... the copies of both..." Jacob rubbed the back of his neck as he handed her something.

"You... You kissed me when I was asleep?! When we were teens?!" Evie asked, shocked by the picture, "Is this... is this a love letter?!" Her heart skipped after reading, shocked

"Quiet down for Christ's sake! There are some Rook's in the next box over!" Jacob held up his hands, gesturing her to whisper.

"When and why did you do this?!" Evie looked at him, mixed emotions swarming inside her.

Jacob looked down, biting his bottom lip, "Do you remember the night I stayed home and tried to cook with you...?" Evie nodded, "Well, while I held you in my arms, you ended up crying yourself to sleep again." He rubbed the back of his head, having difficulty looking up at her, "I carried you back to your room and was about to leave quickly before anything regretful occurred." He mumbled, "Though as I was about to leave, you ended up grabbing my shirt which reminded me of the very first day I fell in love you..."

"I did...?" Evie asked, surprised.

Jacob nodded slowly, "After I saw your sleeping form and your look of innocence again... that's when I ended up kissing you." He finally looked up at her, his face completely crimson, "Heh... my mind knew it was a bad idea, in yet... my heart took over... I'm sorry, Evie..." Jacob chuckled lightly, "As for the letter... I was suffering through a feeling that was suffocating me to where I felt I just had to write it down to get it out of my head since training didn't rid the thought."

Evie chuckled faintly, looking over at him with a gingerly grin, "There's no need for you to apologize, brother." She began, "If anything... if I were awake... then..."

"Then... what?" He looked over at her with a curious look.

"Never mind... I'll tell you later, okay?" She laughed lightly, "Continue onward please."

"Okay..." Jacob responded, Was she about to say something I hope she was going to say...?

 _ **1871**_

 _ **Spring**_

"How many bloody shipments are there?" Jacob questioned, irritated as he arrived at the abandoned factory for the fifth time, "My men are starting to question about this."

"You can take half of the shipment, if that would lessen the suspicion, Mr. Frye." The person stated.

"What's your game...?" Jacob asked, suspicious of the additional deal.

"No game here, Mr. Frye." The person responded with the sound of amusement, "With the amount I see I'm receiving, I don't mind contribution."

"There must be some kind of catch or else..." Jacob mumbled.

"Or else what? You think it will lead you to another corner?" The person chuckled, "It may be rude of me to blackmail you, but I will admit, I am nothing like your ex-crushes."

"Ex-crushes? What are you babbling on about this time?" Jacob asked, feeling agitated.

"Emily Smith, Margaret Gale, and Maxwell Roth. You fall for quite interesting people, do you know that?" The person laughed, "Just never expected you to fall for your own sister. I presume you fell for others just so you can rid those feelings you have for Evie? Or at least bury them?"

"Emily Smith...? What does Emily Smith have to do with this? How long have you been stalking me? And where are you getting at about those I've encountered?" Jacob questioned, feeling shivers go up his spine.

"Well, I take it my assumption is correct." The person chuckled, "And to be clearly honest with you, I've actually been around you since we were kids."

"What...?" Jacob tried looking back on who it could possibly be, but he had so many friends at the time and he could never imagine any of them ever stalking him.

"Heh... of course you wouldn't recall me." The person scoffed, "We weren't close for very long, seeing as to how I had to move here sort of soon after we met."

"Who are you and why have you been stalking me?" Jacob asked, still feeling chills.

"I have my reasons, Mr. Frye." The person replied, "Reasons that do not concern you."

"From what I hear, it sounds as though it does!" He growled.

"You'll find out sooner or later, Mr. Frye. Lets just continue with our deal and I will be off your back right after. Alright?" The person said, chuckling faintly.

Jacob groaned with annoyance as he continued with the deal. As days passed, things have ended up going smoothly and his crew stopped questioning once Jacob provided the other half of the supplies he received from his so-called client. The young man was still creeped out about the person, but followed just so things would end quickly. As the last day arrived, he was tossed a file filled with some papers that involved some sort of coding.

"What the hell is this?" Jacob asked.

"It's coding. You'll have to decipher it in order to find the right destination it's in and the right shipment." The person responded.

"This has got to be a joke..." Jacob groaned, annoyed, "I have no time to decipher this! I already have enough on my plate! Why must you add complication to this?"

"If you put your mind to it, Mr. Frye, things can actually be easier if thought through well enough." The person chuckled.

Jacob thought for a moment then someone came to mind, "Right you are..." The young man groaned as he bolted off to go find his associate, Ned Wynert.

 _ **Present Time...**_

"I assume Ned told you the rest?" Jacob scoffed, looking over, seeing Evie shake her head, "Oh, so he didn't, hm? Appears to be the only loyal one in the group, eh?" Jacob chuckled, "Anyway..." Jacob fell silent for a moment, trying to recall where he left off.

"From what I've just heard, it really sounds like you go for the crazy ones, Jacob." Evie laughed.

"Heh... you know, from what you just said, you're calling yourself crazy, too, oh sister of mine." Jacob smirked.

"Hey! I take offense to that, brother!" Evie laughed, hitting his arm.

"Ow... you have quite the strength to leave a bruise, sis." He laughed.

"Oh, shut up and finish your story." Evie folded her arms, looking away with a huff, hiding her small pout.

"Okay, okay..." He chuckled.

 _ **1871**_

 _ **Summer**_

"Hey, Ned." Jacob rested his arm on Ned's shoulder as he stood beside him, "I happen to have a request that might tickle your fancy."

"Oh? And what might that be, Frye?" He looked up at Jacob, pushing his arm off of him, "It better not be like last time, Frye. I almost got arrested because of you." Ned glared, folding his arms, waiting for Jacob to continue.

"No, nothing like last time, Ned." He chuckled, holding his arms up as if surrendering, "This is something simple. I just need you to decipher something for me."

" _Simple_ , huh? Doesn't sound simple to me if I'm having to translate codes for you." He glared, "What do I get out of it?"

"How about twenty-six cargos of supplies that you've been needing the past few months? Would that be enough for you to decipher a few files for me?" Jacob smirked at him, knowing fully well he'd get a yes out of it.

"Fine, but first, do you have the shipment?" Ned questioned.

"Yes, I have it heading our way. Half of it is already by the docks in Whitechapel, the rest will be arriving tomorrow at dawn. Promise." He grinned, crossing his heart, "Do we have a deal?" Jacob held out his hand.

"You've got yourself a deal, Frye." Ned shook his hand, giving a look of satisfaction.

"Fantastic." Jacob grinned from ear to ear, "The files are on the train and it'll stop in a half hour, shall we catch a ride?"

"Now when you say, catch a ride, do you mean you're going to hijack another carriage, Frye?" Ned rolled his eyes, looking over at Jacob seeing him already jump on a cart, beckoning him over.

"You going to join me?" Jacob held out his hand, "Or are you wanting me to hold you by the waist while I use my grappling hook and free run from rooftop to rooftop?" He smirked.

"Carriage it is..." Ned groaned, grabbing Jacob's hand and hopping on, holding on tight, knowing how fast Jacob is going to go.

"Off we go!" He laughed with a big grin on his face as they dashed off.

They reached the train in under fifteen minutes which was a new record for Jacob. He stood tall, proud of the change in his record, completely forgetting the aftermath of his brash driving if not fully focused on it. Ned shook as he got off the carriage, his legs wobbling by the fear he had towards almost crashing into things by the cause of Jacob's way of driving. Jacob whistled, walking all dandy while heading towards the train, looking back to see how Ned was.

"How was the ride, chap?" Jacob laughed, looking at Ned.

"Just shut up and show me the files..." Ned passed him, irritated as he tried to keep a good balance on his footing.

"I'll take it that it was fun?" The young man scoffed, amused by the other man's reaction.

The train arrived a little after, letting Jacob and a few others in his crew climb aboard. Jacob walked to his room, going through the pile of papers he had scattered on his desk. The young man mumbled curse words, getting slightly frustrated from the unorganization he left himself in.

"Where the hell did I place those damn files...?" Jacob murmured to himself.

" _Ahem..._ Do these happen to be the files, Frye?" Ned questioned, pointing out the folders that were lying on his bed.

"If only I could keep my head on straight for once." He chuckled faintly, walking over, "Goodness..." Jacob shook his head, embarrassed, "Here are the files, think you could translate them and give them to me by this evening?"

"I'll give it a shot, but I can't make any promises on that." Ned responded, "Wait a tick..." The young man looked closer at the pages, "From the look of all this, it's easier to translate than I thought..." The man scoffed with surprise, "Now let's see here... _On July tenth of eighteen sixty-nine there will be a drop-off at the dock in the City of London to pick up and deliver to the abandoned factory in Westminster by midnight. Sharp_." Ned mumbled the rest, skimming through the words.

"What else does it have on there? Is there anything to our liking?" Jacob asked, ecstatic.

Ned stood there, speechless, "If my calculations are correct, there will be two-hundred and fifty explosives in one cargo, along with five shipments of medical kits, gold, and a year of supplies to live off of!" Ned looked up at Jacob with excitement, "Do you know what we could do with all of that?!"

" _Half_ of that, actually. And yes." Jacob nodded with a smile, "Well, appears it's time for some looting this evening. I'll go assemble some of my finest men. Hope to see you tonight." He smirked with a wink before running off.

Nightfall came and Jacob arrived at the destination. He informed his men to standby while he stealthily took the men out one by one. The young man was surprised by the small amount that were aboard, so everything happened smoothly. As he finished, he made his way to Ned, informing him on what to do next. While they took all the shipments, he came across some notes, informing on where the supplies are supposed to actually go to. When he read them, he was in shock.

"Jacob? Is something the matter?" Ned asked.

"Yes, something's most definitely wrong. If you'll excuse me, please take this shipment to the address that's on this while I take care of some business of my own..." Jacob spoke, handing the paper to Ned before running off.

"No way..." Ned mumbled to himself after looking at the paper, "Alright..." He sighed deeply, seeing Jacob run off, "Be careful."

Jacob returned to the abandoned warehouse and called out to the person, "Emily Smith, show yourself!"

"Whom are you talking about, Mr. Frye?" The person questioned.

"Just by the use of your words, the handwriting I've seen, and the sound of trembling words, I assume my presumption is correct?" Jacob chuckled, "Show yourself right this instant!"

The person growled before revealing themself, "Fine... you caught me, Mr. Frye." Emily walked forward.

"Why are you doing this? Why are you using me to take things that are supposed to be sent to churches, orphanages, and mines?" Jacob looked at her with a look of annoyance.

"I happen to be in a business of some sort that does not concern you, Mr. Frye." Emily began, "And as I recalled your abilities, you appeared quite useful to me."

"We used to be close friends, Emily." Jacob glared, "What the hell did I ever do to you?"

"Well, for starters, at the time it appears you used me as a distraction." She started, "When you ran off that evening on your fifteenth birthday, I followed you, going to question why you ran off. Then when I saw your expression change after you saw your sister kiss my brother, I assumed something odd was going on." Emily looked aside, "You became distant and found no interest in any girl, counting myself, that asked for your affection as years passed. My suspicions grew to where I was going to check myself. At the time I had my father's latest camera. And well, you should get the point from there on. Plus, that love letter was quite a bonus when I saw you toss it." She looked back over at him with a chuckle, shaking her head.

"You decided to blackmail me just because I didn't show any affection to you nor others?!" Jacob bellowed.

"Well, jealousy can do a lot to a person, but with the business I'm in, that's my main reason of blackmail, Mr. Frye." She chuckled lightly, "Though I will say, I'm still shocked on how you didn't want to be with me while we grew up together. Many questioned why you wouldn't date me, the most popular girl in Crawley." She laughed.

"Oh, don't flatter yourself, Emily." Jacob scoffed, "My sister was right about you."

"What? What did she say about me?" She snarled.

"None of your damn concern!" Jacob glared.

"Fine, if you're going to be cocky with me, then I guess I shall put these in the paper." Emily smirked, "Will be quite a sight for the citizens to see their hero find interest in his own sister." She scoffed, "Will cause chaos even to your own sister." She laughed.

Those last few words crossed him to where he just snapped. As she passed by him, he twisted her arm and kicked the inside of her knees, making her fall to the floor as he held her in a tight grip with her arms behind her back, soon placing a blade against her neck, "You ever show the world that photo and that letter, I will send you straight to the madhouse, leaving you tied in a straightjacket and locked away in a dark cell for the rest of your days." Jacob growled into her ear, "Don't think I don't have connections around these cities and don't think I can't easily take down with whatever remaining business you have left in London."

"Heh... well, doesn't somebody have anger issues." Emily laughed, looking beside her, "Don't be so cocky, Mr. Frye. You have no-"

"Warlords- James Mcbeth in Lambeth, Kenneth Wright in Westminster, Benedict Kane in Whitechapel, Maxwell Roth and Margaret Gale. Associates- Keith Williams and Kennedy Graham. And let's not forget your brothers- Ryan and Benjamin Smith who both happen to be happily married with such beautiful young children, both still living in Crawley." Jacob whispered, "Your Warlords and Associates were quite a challenge to assassinate and you wouldn't want your brothers nor sister-in-laws nor nieces and nephews to know the truth about you, now would you, Ms. Smith?" Jacob chuckled.

"You bastard! How did you-?!" She hissed.

"Just because my actions are stupid, does not mean I am. Do not think lowly of me, Ms. Smith. I do have my connections. I do have my quick wit. And I do not take things so lightly when threatened! I am a man you do not want to mess with. Do you understand?" Jacob chuckled lowly in her ear, "I can be your nightmare 'til the day you die. I can be your grim reaper. I can be your cause of death if you have done anything wrong to those who are innocent with just a flick of this blade." He pushed it up against her lightly, "So what's your choice, Ms. Smith? Do you want tonight to be your last?"

Emily growled, "Heh... sounds like you've taken everything away from me already, so what's the use of breathing now?" She chuckled, "I dare you to make this my last breath. I dare you to end things here and now. I. Fucking. Dare. You."

Jacob placed the blade closer to her throat then growled and threw her on the floor, "I hope you like spending your time in darkness all tied up, Ms. Smith. Because you're never going to see the light of day ever again." The young man tied her up.

"Heh... you think you've won? You don't know where I've placed-?!"

"Placed the copies?" Jacob pointed towards a pile of papers, "Oh, don't think I can't find things, Ms. Smith. I do have my ways you know nothing about." He smirked as he narrowed his eyes, "It was a pleasure seeing you again. I hope you have a nice life in the asylum." Jacob burned the factory to the ground to rid every evidence of his past and led her to Lambeth Asylum.

Emily tried to inform everyone around the asylum about Jacob's secret, but it just made her look mad as Jacob laughed at her remarks. He had allies in the asylum who believed him over Emily, which made everything safe for him, leaving him in the clear. Jacob sighed deeply as he turned, trying to ignore Emily's repetitive shouting. He walked away into the night, heading toward the train, exhausted.

"God do I feel sick..." Jacob groaned as he walked off, trying to breathe in the fresh air to clear his head, "Well, I'm glad things are cleared now... though I do feel horrible for the things I've said and done..." He sighed deeply, "Time for me to make up for my misdeeds..."

From then on, Jacob thought clearly. He read more. He wrote more. He analyzed more. He was cautious on everything as the years continued to pass and just buried himself with studies, work, and social life, just trying to survive things without his sister assisting him on his mistakes by finally learning from each one. Evie did cross his mind from time to time, especially when he kept receiving letters that he was not willing to read. As the years passed, he became a man he never expected to be in his life, as he continued to struggle with the thought of his love for Evie.

 _ **Present Time...**_

Evie was a little worried to tell her side of the story as she knew her brother was nearly done explaining. She gripped her arms that were resting on her knees as she buried her head part way beneath them. The young woman had the slightest clue on where to even start and she felt too embarrassed to explain herself. As she listened to her brothers last words, it struck her.

"So all this time there came those struggles which all included a past I've wanted to forget for a long time... my long-awaited craving for your touch killed me as years passed afterwards." He sighed, rubbing the back of his head as he looked forward, trying to rid the redness exposing on his face, "That sensation of temptation made me feel as though I was suffocating from such sinful thoughts to the point of where I knew I could never forgive myself if it ever became reality..." Jacob glanced over, his heart pounding.

Evie looked over at him, stunned by his use of words, " _Long-awaited craving for my touch_? _That sensation of temptation_?" She quoted as a question, "Are you telling me you only love me for my physique?" She shot up with clenched hands and a look of irritation.

"Pardon?" Jacob looked up at her, confused of her statement.

"The only thing you love about me is my looks?!" She glared down at him.

"N-No! I didn't mean it in just that kind of way, Evie!" Jacob looked up with knitted brows.

" _Just_...?" Evies eyes narrowed, "Bloody hell, Jacob..." The young woman turned her heels, storming out the door.

"What the hell, Evie?!" Jacob bolted up, running after her, "Do not play games with me, Evie! Do not twist this nor use this against me just so you could avoid telling me your side!"

Evie didn't listen. She didn't turn. Her infuriation towards her brothers remark left her from ignoring everything. The young woman sped up, jumping her way up from the closest building. She didn't want to deal with her brother. Evie just wanted to cool off her frustration and clear her mind.

"Evie!" Jacob shouted, "For Christ's sake stop doing this to me!" He jumped onto the building she first climbed onto, looking around, but saw no sight of her.

Evie hid in the shadows, crouching down, trying to keep herself together. She knew it was wrong of her to just get up and run out without telling him her side. The young woman also felt it was ridiculous of how she reacted, but she couldn't bring herself to explaining her side. Guilt crawled its way up and left her in shame.

"Damn this all to hell..." Jacob groaned with frustration.

The young man ran, searching everywhere for Evie, but found no trace of her. He growled with frustration as he searched and searched, wanting to end this whole affray. Jacob began to question if anyone has seen her, but no one did. He decided to run back to the train, hoping she was there. He stormed his way through the train, one boxcar after another, irritation rising to his core as he felt it was unfair of her to just storm off. He reached her room, opening it, but noticing it was locked, leading him to pounding on her door, hoping for an answer.

"Evie!" He shouted, "Evie! I know you're in there because your door is locked!" He pounded on the door again, "I poured every single goddamn thing you wanted to know about! So don't avoid me just because you need to explain yourself!" He rested his fists and forehead against the door as though begging she would open, "Don't make me have to go through a window..." He stated with a groan.

A second after his last sentence, she opened the door and Jacob just walked straight in so she wouldn't shut him out, "Evie, please just-?!" Jacob froze in place once seeing someone he did not expect to see, "Greenie...?" Jacob turned and looked at Evie with a perplexed look, "If you don't mind me asking... why is _Greenie_ here, oh _sister_ of mine?"

"Is it wrong of me to come visit my wife, Mr. Frye?" Henry asked.

"Well, that certainly answered my question." Jacob growled as he whispered at Evie, "It's a pleasure seeing you again, Greenie." He placed a fake grin on his face as he patted Henry's shoulder, passing by, walking off with gritted teeth and clenched hands as he was heading for the end of the train.

"Jacob, wait!" Evie ran up to him, "Please let me explain!"

"I gave you chances to explain yourself and you kept walking off or lying! What's your lie going to be this time? Hm?" He halted, "What is it you have to tell me that'll just end up being another lie?" Jacob turned with a pierced glare, "Lie after lie after lie! I gave you chance after chance and your explanations all ended up invalid! You wanted me to open up to you again just so my heart could be plunged with your lies?!" He screeched as his face turned red, "Stop wasting my goddamn time, Evie... I'm done here... we're done here." Jacob turned, running to jump off the train, but was grabbed by Evie, "Let me fucking go!" He yanked and ran, not looking back.

Jacob ran faster and faster as if running for his life. He could barely breathe. He could barely keep himself from falling to his knees. He could barely do anything. His emotions overflowed to where he couldn't take anymore of it. Without any thought given, his legs ended up leading him to Rose's bar.

"Heh... I can't believe myself... what a damn fool I am to fall for such false hope." He scoffed, "Sod everything... I need a goddamn drink."

"Hello, Jacob!" Rose grinned as she welcomed him, "What would you like this evening?"

"Give me a pint of your hardest liquor." He sat on a stool, resting his head on the bar, trying to calm all of his nerves.

"Is something the matter?" She questioned.

"Please do not ask..." Jacob groaned as he looked up at her, "Am I the only customer this evening?" He looked around after noticing the silence in the bar.

"Happen to be the last this evening actually." She chuckled lightly, handing him his drink.

"Really? Wait, are you actually closed right now?" Jacob questioned, feeling a little bad, "My apologies for entering without noticing, Rose."

"There's no need for you to apologize, Jacob." She giggled, "My doors are always opened for you." She smiled softly.

His face became a little red by her use of words and his heart began to race, "Th-Thank you..." He mumbled as he cleared his throat, soon chugging down his first pint.

She nodded with a grin, "So... anything you need to get off your chest?" Rose questioned.

"I do not want to talk about it... I just want to wash away the thought before it burns in my mind and mark itself as a memory." He covered his face, groaning with frustration.

"Alright..." Her smile became weak as she refilled his mug.

"I'm sorry for my intrusion... I just... there's so much going on to where I can barely keep my head on." He chuckled, taking his time drinking his second pint, looking over at her with a weak grin and hint of grievance in his amber colored eyes, "I feel like such fool." He massaged his forehead with his hand, trying to think clearly, slowly finishing his second glass.

"You're not a fool, Jacob." Rose began, "You're just in a small bind at the moment." She chuckled lightly, "I know in time, you will be able to figure out your issues. After all, you are the famous, Sir Jacob Frye." She smiled genuinely, placing her hand on his cheek, caressing it slowly.

The young man looked at Rose, his heart tightening once he felt the nice, warm feeling he hasn't felt for years. The caring look in her crystal ocean colored eyes, drowning him with emotions he thought he lost long ago. The loving smile from her faint pink lips turning into a genuine curl. The faint shade of crimson covering her cheeks. The sight of her just felt like a blessing to him.

Jacob noticed Rose was the only person who could keep him right on his path. She has always been there for him even when he has left her behind several times. The years they've spent together made him feel like a disgrace once he began recalling the actual reasons of her company. The young man tried his damnedest to not get so close since his heart would never accept her in that kind of way, but with the position he has been in... he felt as though his heart began to thaw just by her words and just by her touch. It made him feel like a bigger fool for loving someone he knew from the very start he could not call his own.

"I'm so sorry, Rose..." He looked down, a few shed of tears escaping his eyes as he closed them, "I'm such an idiot for doing this..." Jacob looked away, his hands combing through his hair roughly, feeling as though he's losing everything at that moment, "I'm such a damn bastard for what I've been doing my whole life, I'm such a..."

"Jacob..." Rose cupped Jacobs cheeks, leading him to look at her again, "Everything will end with blessings. You just have to wait patiently for your happy ending." She chuckled lightly.

Jacob placed his hands on Rose's and gripped them weakly. He closed his eyes, trying to ease his aching heart. The young man opened his eyes and saw a woman who always brought a smile to his face. He bit his bottom lip, staring deep into her ocean colored eyes before his body made an impulsive move, leading his lips to crash into Rose's. Rose's eyes widened once she felt the warm touch of Jacob's lips, connecting with hers.

 _What the bloody hell am I doing?!_ Jacob questioned himself, his lips not separating from Rose's, _Heh... what a disgrace I am, but... for Evie's sake... for Rose's sake... hell... even for my very own sake... It's really time for me to move on..._ He sighed faintly during the kiss, disguising it as a moan, _I'm sorry, Evie... I'm sorry, Rose... Christ... I'm so sorry..._

As the kiss continued onward, their actions amongst each other escalated by the second. At that very moment... Jacob didn't hold back. His body took full control and made him feel his emotions perished that fateful night. As his actions heightened by the embrace of another woman, he hoped she would be the one to heal his broken self.


	10. One Step Forward

Bright light glistened through the windows, awaking Jacob from a deep slumber. A groan left his lips as he turned over, burying his face in a pillow. A sudden feminine aroma entered through his nose, making him jerk up.

"What the bloody hell...?" He looked at the soft pillow he was lying on, noticing it wasn't his, "Where the fuck am I...?" The young man looked around the area, feeling slight discomfort, "Sh-?!" Jacob covered his mouth once seeing a familiar figure lie right beside him.

 _Oh, bloody hell... It happened... Christ! I can't believe it fucking happened!_ Jacob squeezed his eyes tightly as he palmed himself on the forehead, _Why did I fucking follow through this?!_

"Mmm... hm?" Rose stretched, turning, lying on her stomach, snuggling up with the other pillow.

 _Shit... shit... SHIT!_ Jacob hopped over her swiftly, hurrying to escape before she awoke, _Okay... where the hell are my clothes?_ Jacob searched around, stunned that they weren't anywhere near, _What the bloody hell happened last night?!_ He thought to himself, tensing up by anxiety, knowing fully well of what happened the night before.

"What the...?" Jacob walked down a small hallway, noticing his clothes were cleaned and set neatly on a chair, "Did Rose...?" The young man was amazed by how his clothes looked completely new, "Why did she...?" He chuckled faintly to himself, feeling shameful for how things were turning out.

The young man knew the reason for last night was to move on, but after recollecting of what happened beforehand, he felt it was too soon for both, himself and Rose, to take that big step. Yes, they've spent time together. Yes, they've teased one another from time to time. Yes, they've had a strong connection as years passed. But there was a sharp piercing pain in his chest, telling him everything was not cleared up enough for them to take this step. Jacob took his time on putting on his clothes, thinking of what to do and what he has to fix before anything goes further between them.

 _I love her ever so deeply, but all it does is obliterates me so harshly to where I can barely stand anything anymore..._ He sighed deeply, covering his face, _All the love I have for that woman, does nothing, but freezes my heart when things go south every time it involves her!_ Jacob bit his cheek hard, trying to move his attention of pain elsewhere, in yet, it was nothing compared to the pain in his heart _, I have to move on... I need to move on... I can't do this to myself anymore. Everything will be over once I say my good-bye's to the love I have... had for Evie._ He groaned, feeling the pain become sharper, _I'll be back, Rose... I just need to put an end to this once and for all..._

Jacob walked back and saw Rose was still fast asleep on her bed, sleeping peacefully, "Sleep well my beautiful Rose." The young man chuckled faintly, kissing her cheek before walking downstairs to the bar to leave the building.

When the young man walked downstairs, he saw it was still an early morning since there was no one in sight. He left the building with a deep sigh as he looked up at the sun that was slowly rising. He placed his top hat on, adjusting his tie and coat before heading off, jumping onto the building in front of him to find the train. As he jumped from building to building for over a half hour, he finally noticed the train. He rushed towards it as he thought through on what he should say and how to put an end to all of this.

Once he reached the train, he stood at the end for several minutes, he breathed in deeply, his hands clenching tightly, then loosening once he exhaled slowly. His jaw tightened by the thought of countless outcomes, but once he saw all the outcomes leading to the same results, he relaxed every muscle, entering the train with all the courage he had to let go. He stood in front of the door to his sisters room, raising his hand to knock. His hand ended stopping midway, clenching tightly as he groaned. Jacob's hand finally knocked on her door, awaiting for her to answer. Once the door was opened, he saw something he didn't want to see, but knew he should've expected it.

"Oh, Mr. Frye. Good morning." Henry grinned sleepily.

"My apologies for intruding your morning so early, I just wanted to talk to my sister about something." Jacob chuckled faintly with a forced grin, trying to ignore the sight of Henry half-naked and Evie still asleep on her bed, "But seeing as to how she's still asleep, I'll leave the matter for later." His grin never left, "Continue to rest well my dear friend and please do tell Evie I have something to tell her once she wakes."

"I will." Henry smiled, waving him off, "Have a nice early morning, Mr. Frye."

"You as well, Greenie." Once the door was closed, Jacob sighed deeply, wondering to himself on what to do until then, "Well, I guess I should do my usual rounds." He rubbed the back of his neck, heading to get off the train, "Though... there is one other thing." The young man chuckled faintly, thinking of trying to ready himself for a new future.

Jacob checked around London, seeing if there was any danger going on, but only a few thefts here and there and a couple assaults occurred as he made his way to a few shops. Once he finished his usual routine in the morning and finished getting the items that he thought of buying, he headed back to Rose's Pub. Once he reached the destination, he saw a smiling Rose through the window, interracting with her regular customers. As he was heading towards the entrance, he heard a familiar voice he was not prepared to hear so soon.

"Jacob?" Evie called out from behind.

The young man didn't want to turn. He wasn't prepared to talk to her so soon, especially since it was still morning. Jacob was hoping there was more time, but there was no chance for him. He was about to walk forward, pretending he didn't hear, but he stopped, practically signalling he heard his name be called out oh so clearly. A deep sigh escaped as he slowly turned.

"Yes, Evie?" He turned, exposing a bouquet of flowers and a small box in his hands.

Evie's eyes widened by what she saw in his hands. Stung by the sight of things she assumed were presents for the woman that was just a few feet ahead. She examined everything before her. The young woman didn't want to know what was in the box by the cause of her heart faltering, but her curiousity overpowered her emotions as she stepped forward, heading toward her brother to question on what is going on.

"I assume those are for that woman?" Evie growled, not being able to say her name.

"She has a name, Evie..." Jacob spoke lowly, his eyes glued to Evies, "And if you must know... yes... they are. As a thank you present for always being there for me."

"Don't lie to me, brother." Her eyes pierced deeply towards his, "You're going to confess, are you not?"

"To be honest, at this very moment, I'm not and that's because I have unfinished business, dear sister." He gripped onto the stems of the flowers, "And you know so very well on what business I'm talking about." His eyes narrowed as he marched towards her.

"Are you referring to me, brother?" She growled.

"If the cap fits, dear sister then-?!"

Without any warning given, Evie gripped tightly onto Jacob's collar and dragged him into an alleyway before using her grappling hook, dragging them both up to the roof. As he was dragged, he dropped the flowers which ended up lying in front of the bar while his hand had a tight grip on the little box. Jacob rubbed the back of his neck, massaging the slight pain he felt from the pull before looking up, over at Evie. A growl left his lips as he approached her with narrowed eyes.

"You could have just told me to follow you!" Jacob spoke firmly, sounding irritated.

"I doubt you would have, brother." Evie glared, "After what happened last night, I bet you would have avoided me for the rest of our days."

"Heh... yes, I'm a bitter man, but with what's been happening lately, I feel what is best for me... for us... is to talk about things to clear everything up before things worsen." Jacob retorted.

"Finally willing to clear things up? Hm?" Evie questioned, feeling doubt.

"The one having to clear things up is _you_ , not me. I already did my part, oh sister of mine. It's _your_ turn to come forward." He growled, "So what do you have to say, Evie? Hm? Do you have something to tell me or are you going to walk off again to not bring up the past?"

Evie clenched her hands tightly, her sky blue eyes becoming darker by anger, "I'll... I'll come forth tonight... once things are sorted out."

"Fine..."Jacob grumbled, turning, "I have some things to do today anyway, so I'll see you back on the train when nightfalls."

"When you say _things_ , do you mean _Ms. Moore_?" Evie questioned.

"It doesn't concern you, sweet sister." He glanced behind himself, "As you've stated several times to me before, _mind your own business as I do mine_." Jacob smirked, "Have a nice day, Evie. I'll see you this evening on the train. Until then..." He waved as he ran to jump to the next building, trying to hold himself together.

The young man was about to jump to the next building, but was grabbed, "Actually... would you mind meeting me at this address?" Evie handed Jacob a piece of paper with an address scribbled on it.

"Why must we have a chat elsewhere?" Jacob asked, his curiosity growing.

"I have my reasons... once things are settled on my half, I'll... I'll tell you everything just to put this whole charade we have set behind us. Once and for all, brother..." Evie looked up at him with pained eyes, "Alright?"

Jacob felt anguished when seeing the look of dejection in his sisters eyes, which was making it harder for him to move on. He closed his eyes to try and ignore the pain they both were feeling between one another. As there was a small moment of silence, all Jacob could do was nod his head, looking at her one more time before tearing his eyes off her to walk away. The twins both felt a stab in their hearts as they went separate ways. The feeling reminded them both of the day of Evie's wedding which both regretted for so long.

"Okay... it's time to start anew..." Jacob said to himself, "Even though things are not fully set... I should at least take one small step..." He stopped in his tracks, looking down, pulling out the note and the small box, "Why are things like this?" The young man closed his eyes tightly, clenching weakly onto the box and the note.

Jacob looked at them once more, suddenly seeing an image of Evie on the note with a huge grin on her face like when they were kids and an image of Rose smiling genuinely like she always had whenever she supported him. The young man looked up and through the window, suddenly seeing Rose place the bouquet of flowers he bought for her into a vase with a gentle smile gliding across her face. Once he saw those pale pink lips curl and those ocean blue eyes looking as calm and gentle as ever, it made his weak smile turn into a heart-warming one slowly as he continued to stare at Rose. He was going to give her the present, but something held him back. So all he did was place the present in his jacket pocket and walked away to do his usual routines with his Rooks as time continued to pass.

The sun was beginning to set as Jacob was shoving a bounty into the back of Abberline's carriage. Once he looked over at the sunset, he groaned with irritation beginning to rise as anxiety followed right behind. He felt his way through his pocket to find the piece of paper and pulled it out once his hand landed on it. The young man stared at it for several minutes, figuring out where the destination was. As his mind located where the place was, he started freerunning from construction to construction.

"Well, here it is..." He sighed as he looked down at the entrance from the rooftop of the building in front of it, "Wait... why did she lead me to... a hotel...?" Jacob questioned, concerned of what's about to occur, "Please don't tell me..." He groaned, covering his eyes as his heart raced by the thought of something unforgiving.

Jacob was hesitant on entering, but he had a gut feeling that this would be the only time Evie will come forward to him. He inhaled deeply and exhaled slowly, loosening all his muscles to walk forward. The young man didn't want to be seen on entering a hotel, so he went to the rooftop to enter through there. Once he reached the front desk, he looked at the note once more with the name Rose Moore on it.

"What the bloody hell...?" He mumbled, "Who the hell am I meeting this evening?" He was confused, but shook his head as he resigned, "H-Hello, there was a room booked under the name, _Rose Moore_?" Jacob felt discomfort begin to rise as he questioned the concierge.

"Ah, I assume you must be Jacob Frye?" The concierge chuckled as he questioned.

"Y-Yes." Jacob pulled the collar of his shirt, feeling as though he was suffocating from it as he swallowed hard as countless thoughts crossed his mind.

"Here you go, sir. Have a nice evening." The man smiled as he handed him a key.

"Thank you." The young man chuckled awkwardly, dashing away once the key was handed toward him.

Once he reached the floor the room was on, he stood in front of the door. He was hesitant on opening the door to where he would rather knock on it, though more likely would want to walk away from it. As the young man built up his courage to unlock the door, he placed the key in the keyhole, his hand shaking to turn it. Jacob ended up holding his breath as he turned the key and the knob, soon walking in.

"Good evening, Jacob."


	11. Past Memories

"Why in the world did you choose a hotel, Evie?!" Jacob shut the door quickly behind him, baffled by the location she chose to speak, "And why the devil did you use Rose's name no less?!"

"With the position you and I are in at the moment, I didn't want any more conflict to rise. So—"

"So you think us meeting at a hotel won't cause a rise?!" Jacob interrupted with a disbelievable chuckle.

"It's private, secure, and quiet." Evie stated, "If we had a conversation on the train, passengers could have overheard us. If we had a conversation in public it most definitely would have caused something if listened in on."

"Now when you mean _passengers_ do you mean your _husband_?" Jacob growled, "Speaking of which, would you mind explaining to me on why you lied to me about your separation with Henry?" Jacob glared at Evie.

"That's one of the several things I'm going to talk to you about, alright?" Evie looked straight into his eyes, a look of seriousness on his face, "So please understand why I chose here."

"I told my life story to you on the train and you almost revealed what I did nine years ago!" Jacob pointed out, "So your story best have a greater reason than mine or else I walk." He spoke sternly, "I do not want things to worsen anymore and I certainly do not want to be forced to hear anymore of your ridiculous lies. I've heard enough of them and look where its led me." He farced, "Christ... led me to kissing a married woman who is my _fucking_ sister!" Jacob bellowed with a glare, "Things are already arise and I most certainly do not want things to get worst than they already are."

"I know... I know... so lets stop this bickering so we can get to the point." Evie looked him seriously, trying to keep things at bay.

Jacob rolled his eyes, a little miffed to Evie's statements. Her points were valid in a way, but it didn't keep him away from hesitation. He had a feeling in the pit of his stomach, telling him nothing good will come of this. The young man tried to keep a bit of a distant, trying to keep himself concentrated to think of what to tell her once she's finished telling her side.

Evie looked over at him, sitting on the bed, her legs crossed as her hands rested on them, clasped together, "Anyway, seeing as to how I've finished sorting things out, I assume it's my turn to come forward?" She chuckled lightly, looking up at her brother.

"If you're willing to come forth _truthfully_ on your end, then I feel things would officially be cleared between you and I." Jacob smiled faintly, "But if you don't... then I'm going to put an end to things here and now. Do I make myself clear?" His expression became cold sober as he sat across from her on the sofa.

"What do you mean by put an end to things?" She looked at him with entanglement.

"Meaning; I'm going to put an end to the love I've had for you and erase the feeling completely." Jacob looked at her firmly, "Meaning; I'm going to see you as nothing more than a sister, as the way I'm actually supposed to see you." His lips began to tremble as he paused for a moment, finishing his last explanation, "Meaning; I will dismiss the thought from my mind that this ever happened in the first place. Every ounce of love. Every moment of affection. And every confession that has happened between you and I." He had to forcefully look back over at her as he tried to stay composed, hiding the sharp agony he kept feeling as he clarified his statement, "Agreed?"

"Agreed..." Evie breathed out heavily, looking down, biting her bottom lip, thinking on where to even begin, "Well... seeing as to how you came out to me, I assume it's my turn?" She looked up at him with a frail cackle, her face suddenly becoming hot by the memories as the feeling of embarrassment began to rise, ridding the sharpness in her chest that was caused by her brother's request, "The time it officially became clear was the time father... the time father passed."

"Excuse me?" His face became febrile once hearing her confession, "You had feelings for me the past five years?!" His voice cracked as he questioned, floundering at concealing his disconcert.

"Six actually... seeing as to how our birthday is near." She tittered awkwardly, looking away, failing at camouflaging hers as well, "Though who's counting?" Evie hid her face, feeling like a complete idiot for how things were already turning out.

"Christ, Evie..." Jacob bit his bottom lip, trying to grip himself back from placing a forced kiss on her lips, most likely knowing he'd jump her if their lips ever met, I have to hold myself back... I'm trying get through this to let go of the past so I can move forward. Cerebration transverse himself, endeavoring to keep himself composed as he put effort into looking at her as she carried forward.

"Well, it appears you and I fell the same way... Just different time periods." She clasped her hands firmly together, covering them between her legs, every muscle tensing up tightly as she held in her breath, struggling to envisage of what to affirm next.

"It appears so..." Jacob chortled quietly, trying to ease his pounding heart.

"So... there's my confession to you, brother." The young woman shut her eyes as she laughed, unable to continue for a moment.

The young man cleared his throat, pulling the collar of his shirt, trying to breathe, "I-Is it getting stuffy in here all of a sudden or is it just me?" Jacob stood up, striding over to the window hastily, "Y-You wouldn't mind me opening a window, would you, dear sister?" He glanced over at her for a second, soon turning his head to avoid her gaze, unable to keep eye contact with her.

"B-By all means, brother..." She shook her hand in his direction, signalling him to go right ahead, trying to keep herself together, but both still continuing to successfully unsucceed.

Jacob tried to open the window quickly, but his fingers kept fumbling to open it, "Fuck!" He mumbled, irritated by how clumsy he suddenly got.

"B-Brother, let me assist you with that." Evie walked up to him, her hand grazing the tip of a couple of his fingers, leading him to jump back, "B-Brother?" She opened the window, looking over at Jacob, "Is everything alright?"

"E-Everything's fine, Evie! Everything is grand! Just grand fucking-tastic!" He held up his hands, backing himself into a wall, "Shit!" He murmured, looking behind himself, swiftly looking in front of him, seeing Evie approach him, "E-Evie... please don't come towards me right now. Please continue onward about your story." Evie didn't listen.

"Jacob, I won't continue unless you sit and listen to me clearly, alright?" Evie slowly reached out for one of his hands which ended up making him flinch.

 _For Christ's sake... why the hell is this fucking happening right now?!_ Jacob asked himself in his mind, looking up at the ceiling as Evie led him to the couch, sitting beside him, _This isn't good... Dear God this isn't good..._

Jacob's eyes wandered everywhere else just to avoid Evie's sky blue eyes which always enchanted him. He knew deep down, if he looked straight into her eyes, he wouldn't be able to hold himself back after what he just heard. The young man looked straight ahead of him, staring nervously at the wall, trying to clear out his mind as he was waiting for his sister to continue. As he tried his hardest to keep himself away from the desires he has had for so long, he flinched when he felt warmth touch his hand, feeling a tight squeeze follow after. Jacob squeezed back delicately, trembling by his fear of doing something unforgiving.

"Are you alright, brother?" Evie spoke softly, staring at her brother who still made no eye contact with her.

"A-All is well, Evie..." He mumbled, "Just proceed, please..." He bit the inside of his mouth, distracting himself from the feel of her soft skin.

"Alright..." Evie spoke softly, feeling a deep stab in her chest by her brother sounding impatient, "Well, the time the odd emotion began was on... on our fifteenth birthday." She looked down, releasing Jacob's hands, soon squeezing her hands hard.

"H-Hold on one moment..." Jacob stuttered, "W-When did it even occur?"

"Do... Do you remember when you helped me up?" Evie struggled to ask calmly.

"Kind of...?" Jacob responded, trying to recollect the moment.

"Well, it appears my heart seemed to have pounded out of my chest when you placed a soft kiss on my forehead and I never really understood why..." Evie bit her bottom lip before looking over at Jacob, "Though after recollecting that moment, I recall I haven't been myself around you as well as I should have since then." A titter escaped her lips.

"Well, you have certainly hid it well then..." Jacob scoffed, his head tremulous.

"So... it started like this." The young woman squeezed his hand.

Jacob flinched lightly before squeezing her hand in turn, listening while recalling the memories with her.

 _ **1862**_

 _ **Fall**_

Evie was agitated by Jacob's advancement on their altercation. She knew she should be proud of his win, but something within her formed her mood forceless. The young lass consistently had the upperhand when it came to training, but this time, it left her slightly speechless and analytic on the reason it irked her. The young lass tried to embalm that irritation because the cogitation about herself seemed childish to her to react in such a manner, but a part of her was unable to hide that emotion. Evie ended up trying to act her mature usual self to blot out that immature thought.

"Happy Birthday, Evie!" George said, boisterously, "Where's your brother by the way? It's time for you two to blow out your candles."

"Hm? Oh, Jacob was near his friends last I saw, I'll go get... him..." Evie turned and saw something that ended up tightening her chest.

"Cheers." George smiled before turning to put the candles in the cake.

 _When did Jacob get a girlfriend?_ Evie gripped her chest, trying to rid the feeling _, I know he's a charmer to the ladies, but he's never looked at a lass in that kind of way, nor held one in his arms that way either._ The young lass continued to grasp her chest as she approached the scene, discomfort surrounding her.

"Ahem... George is about to bring out the cake and father wants to know if this means you'll be staying out late this evening." The lass spoke, using her father as an excuse to get an explanation out of him. As Evie appeared in front of them, it ended up making him suddenly drop Emily in the process, _Heh... what a clumsy bloke._ She hid her giggle as she thought to herself, _Serves that wench right..._ Her eyes widened slightly by the sudden use of words she never expected to use to a lass she knows nothing about, _Wait, what is wrong with me?_

Evie walked away, continuously questioning herself about her own thoughts. She glanced over her shoulder, awaiting for him to catch up. Once seeing Jacob pick the lass up, kissing her on the cheek, it made her ask even more questions on why it irked her so abruptly.

"Really? Did you really have to interrupt me?!" Jacob growled as he reached Evie.

"I just wanted to inform you before you run off with that wench." Evie spoke calmly, speeding her pace a little, _What the devil is wrong with me this evening?_ She questioned herself, continuously feeling shocked about her thoughts.

"Evie!" He grabbed her arm, making her turn, which made her flinch for a moment, "Don't be so rude! She has not done a single thing towards you!"

 _I know she hasn't, brother..._ She thought to herself, groanig faintly with frustration _, I don't understand what is wrong with me this evening!_ Evie scowled up at him, "I know she hasn't towards me, but as your eldest sister, I feel you should be more cautious on who you spend your evenings with, brother." The young lass responded firmly, _I guess I'm just being overprotective right now... that must be it..._ The adolescent thought, her heart knowing the truth, but her mind sending her emotions straight into denial, throwing away the feeling, incinerating it completely.

Evie looked at him calmly, but could sense he felt a negative aura surrounding them both, "Goodness, Evie... what has tied your knickers in a knot?" His eyebrows knitted in disbelief by the cause of her sudden remark, "This is unlike you."

 _I know, brother..._ She sighed deeply, "It's nothing for you to worry about, brother." A smile came across her face as she yanked her arm away, "Let's just go have cake and inform father on how you're going to spend your evening before you leave." Evie turned her heels, leaving Jacob behind, making him feel dumbfounded.

As the evening passed by with fun and games with family and friends, the twins were happy with what was given and what has been happening throughout the evening. After the cake was completely gobbled up and gone and all the presents were opened, Jacob strided off to go extend hanging out with his friends which led Evie feeling left behind. Evie glanced over at Jacob every now and again, a feel of loneliness and one other emotion she still couldn't comprehend rushed passed her each time she saw Jacob with Emily. The young lass never understood those emotions which left her feeling uneasy throughout the night. Everything appeared to happen smoothly for everyone that attended and was filled with nothing, but joy. Or so Evie used to think before she witnessed something she never expected to hit her so harshly in the chest.

 _So they are together..._ Evie thought to herself, grasping her chest as it made her feel as though her heart sank just by the sight, _Why do I feel so hurt towards this?_ Her heart pounded, deafening her from the cheers and hoots that left everyone's lips, _Goodness, why does it hurt so much?_ She thought, bolting once seeing her brothers face turn crimson as their lips separated.

"What the devil is wrong with me tonight?" The young lass questioned herself as she ran to the abandoned barn to release her tears of pain, "Why did that hit me deeply in the chest? Why did it contuse so abundantly?" Evie continued to question herself, leaning against the barn, sliding down to the ground, landing into a fetal position.

"Evie...?" Evie jolted by Jacob's voice calling out to her, leading her to rush to the roof to conceal from him, "Evie! I need to talk to you!"

"You two get into a quarrel?" Someone questioned once she reached the top of the roof.

"Benjamin..." Evie froze once seeing him sitting on the roof, "It's... it's nothing, just a bit of awkwardness between him and I." She smiled gracelessly.

"You know he won't stop searching for you until he finds you." He chuckled, glancing over at Evie before looking back up at the night sky.

"I know... but please don't tell him I'm up here." She pleaded, "I just... I just need time away from him to clear my head."

Benjamin nodded as a sign of understanding, "Be my guest." He chuckled scarcely, patting beside him, still gazing up at the sky.

"So, why are you up here? Aren't you Jacob's best friend?" Evie sat beside him, peeking over at him with a curious look, "Shouldn't you be his wingman right now?" She cackled comparatively, looking up at the sky with him.

"My sister has been around him all night. He's in good hands." He looked over at her, amused, "Or so I thought." The young lad responded, looking down, seeing a frantic Jacob, "Never knew you two were so... close." He glanced over at Evie.

"We're not... not that close." Evie spoke lowly, looking down at her hands blankly, trying to clear her mind.

"From the looks of it, you two seem to be." Benjamin responded, sounding mischievous, "You know... he never stops talking about you." The lad brought up, "I don't know if it's admiration or..." He paused for a moment, looking over at Evie, "Never mind..." He shook his head with a scoff, "Anyway, I'll leave you be with your own thoughts while I help your brother stop fretting." He stood up, about to head down, but was held back.

"Do you mind staying for a bit?" Evie grabbed lightly on his sleeve, tugging him back.

Benjamin looked at her quizzically, curious on why she'd want him by, but he didn't question. He sat back down beside her and patted her head gently before lying back. Evie sat there, looking up at the sky before looking back at Benjamin who looked so peaceful as he lied back, resting his eyes.

"Penny for your thoughts?" Benjamin spoke which made Evie jump for a moment, one eye peeking up at the awkward looking teen.

"Pardon...?" Evie looked at him nervously, a bit taken aback.

"It looks like something's on your mind." He sat up, "Care to share?"

Evie scoffed, shaking her head, a bit surprised and embarrassed on how he seemed to have been able to read her like a book, "Well... I've been a bit curious..." She ceased for a moment, examining his features, "How long has my brother been seeing your sister?"

"I didn't even know they were." Benjamin chuckled, surprised, "So that's news to me." He looked back down at the adolescent who continued to frantically search for Evie, "If anything, I bet he's not even really seeing her." The lad added, "Last I heard, he wasn't even interested into any of the lasses at our school."

"Really?" Evie was a little startled by the response.

"Truly." He scoffed lightly, "Why the sudden question?"

"Well... I saw him kiss Emily so I assumed..." The lass drifted.

"Ah... typical of my sister to do that." A cachinnate escaped his lips, "Anyway, why the sudden question? Jealous?" Benjamin smirked.

"What? No! Of course not! It's just..." Evie paused.

"Just...?" The lad waited, his smirk still plastered on his face as he closed in the gap.

"Just..." Evie looked into his amber colored eyes, suddenly feeling buried as he moved in closer, her not even knowing she was following suit, "Just..." Before she even knew it, their lips met gently, but she jerked back, once realizing what happened, "I-I'm so sorry, I... if you'll excuse me!" She bolted soon after.

 _ **Present time...**_

"So I take it you actually didn't find interest in him?" Evie nodded slowly, looking away from him, "Well, that lie certainly doesn't shock me." Jacob chuckled faintly, " _As for the kiss... Well, I... I happened to have found interest in him at the time._ " He mimicked the response she gave earlier, "Should have known just by the look you gave me when you answered." His eyes narrowed as he shook his head, "Proceed..." He crossed his arms.

"Jacob... look... I'm sorry-"

"Save it, Evie. Your story telling is for you to switch every single lie you told me into nothing, but the truth. Understood?" Jacob glared at her fervently.

All Evie did was nod before continuing.

 _ **Nine Years Ago...**_

Evie had difficulty on training with Jacob when he gave her pointers. She tried to remember what he stated to her when he was showing her certain moves. It was challenging to her. She couldn't focus clearly so she sighed deeply, giving up today's practice and headed home, stopping at a shop to get groceries for tonight's dinner, hoping Jacob would stay to have dinner with her for once seeing as to how father has been away for quite some time. While she was heading home, she saw a commotion ahead of her. As she approached the scene, she saw it was none other than her ex, hanging by his feet, passed out.

"Jacob..." Evie growled, her hand clenching tightly onto the bags, "Oh, you are certainly going to get a lecture this evening." While she walked away, she threw a dagger at the rope, which cut within a matter of seconds, hearing a thud, not even looking back to see if he was okay.

Evie reached their home, seeing Jacob wasn't home yet which left her alone with her thoughts on what to say to him when he returns. She was both irritated and a bit happy at the same time. Irritated that he did such a childish thing to her ex, but also happy he did that. It made her feel warm inside by how he showed his... kindness in a way, even though he could have done it in a more reasonable way. Though Evie didn't technically have much of a complaint as a little giggle left her lips with the thought of John's reactions towards Jacob's actions. The adolescent clear her throat and stood up straight once she heard the door open.

 _Speak of the devil._ The young lass thought as she saw him walk in, "Brother...?" Evie folded her arms, a look of irritation on her face, "Mind explaining why Johnathan was dangling from a building with a piece of paper stating, _Keep your hands off Evie, or else you'll end up in the same position as him_?"

Jacob went straight into denial which left her a little amused by his reaction.

 _ **Present Time...**_

"You sly devil..." Jacob looked over at her with narrowed eyes and a smirk, "You knew this whole time in yet gave me the death stare. How dare you play it off as such." He chuckled, shaking his head.

"Hey, you started it by doing such a thing to him, brother." She scoffed, shaking her head with a smirk of disbelief.

"Yeah, yeah, yeah... continue." He gestured her to continue.

 _ **Nine Years Ago...**_

As the twins bantering came to an end, they began to cook dinner together. Evie glanced over at the struggled twin, laughing lowly, amused by his actions. He looked so motivated to cooking up something, but as she examined his work every now and again, she stopped him once he burnt his food the third time.

"Three strikes, brother. You're out." Evie took all the supplies and pushed him out of the kitchen with a look of beguilement.

"But... but... fine..." He groaned as he resigned, sitting on one of the chairs at the table, watching her cook.

As Evie cleaned up Jacob's mess, she was diverted by his work, wondering what he's going to be like in the future. The thought suddenly struck her in the chest which left her questioning. Her mind suddenly thought of what he's going to be like as a husband for his future wife. If he's going to be rough around the edges. If he's going to be mature, gentle, supportive, and kind. If he's going to be better at cooking. Several thoughts crossed her mind which ended up striking her in the chest, hard.

 _Would I be left behind...? Would he still be around when he marry's someone? Where would that leave me...?_ She thought to herself as she cooked, suddenly feeling a little down by the thought, not even realizing she was humming until Jacob questioned.

As the past of their mother and grandmother were brought up, the area felt heavy on both of them. When Jacob comforted Evie, that evening. She felt safe. The young lass didn't understand the emotions she kept receiving when her brother was always near, so all she did was brush it off, trying to calm herself down. The night ended with nothing, but silence.

 _ **1868**_

 _ **Winter**_

Evie was devastated by the news of their father, but she knew she had to be strong. After all the support she's received by her brother, she felt it was her turn to support him. The young woman noticed he was struggling after hearing the news about their father, so she always stood near him, trying to be strong for the both of them. As the days turned into weeks and the weeks turned into months, their bond became stronger, as did Jacob's and their father. Evie felt fortunate on how their closeness became heart warming, until one evening...

The young woman was walking towards her fathers room to check up on them, but stopped in her tracks once hearing Jacob's voice rise out of anger, "Hold on one moment, are you stating I'm having to marry someone of your choosing?!" She froze by the sudden shout.

Evie walked a little closer, eavesdropping on their conversation which was drowned out a bit by the creeks she was making as she crept her way to the room, "You are to marry her by the end of this fall." The adolescents heart dropped by the sudden statement.

 _What...?_ Evie clenched her chest tightly _, Jacob's... Jacob's having to marry someone?_ She was hurt by the thought.

"By the end of this fall...?" Jacob scoffed, "No! I refuse such requests henceforth!"

"I'm sorry, but you have no choice in the matter, son!" Their father stated firmly.

"Don't you ever call me _son_! If I'm not able to choose my own path, then I'd rather be left behind to rot on the streets than be your son!" Jacob shouted at their father before briskly turning around, storming out of the room.

"Jacob!" Ethan yelled out, but Jacob didn't stop, he left the room with anger.

"Is it true, father...?" Evie entered with a look of anguish.

Ethan nodded slowly, closing his eyes tightly as though he was struck harshly by the reactions of his children.

"W-Why must he marry someone of your choosing? Why must he marry so soon?" Evie approached him, her hand still gripping her chest as she looked at him with a look of sorrow.

"This... This has been carried down in our family tree for generations, Evie." Ethan responded, "Please understand this."

"But... you married mother out of love and not out of a forceful marriage so why..." Evie's words trailed off, looking at her father with grief.

"Evie..." Her father clenched his weak hands tightly, looking down, feeling nothing, but sharpness plunging into his chest by the point that was given to him, "I..." He looked over at her, her look not changing at all, the room falling silent for several minutes before he beckoned her over, "Will you please bring me a piece of paper, a pen, and an envelope?" Ethan requested.

Evie nodded, a look of hope crossing her face as she hurried to find the items. When she searched around she noticed Jacob, sitting on his bed looking frustrated as ever. She wanted to approach him, but before she even could, he rushed up and headed out of his room which led her to hiding from him. The look of irritation on his face pained Evie, because even though he showed nothing, but anger, she knew there was affliction behind that animosity. Evie wanted to go after him, but she was glued to the floor, something obviously holding her back, but she just didn't know what so she just stayed behind and helped their father.

"Thank you, daughter." Ethan smiled gingerly, patting her head softly before writing.

"Do you mind if I ask what you're writing, father?" She asked, cocking her head to the side.

He paused for a moment, deep in thought before looking up at her to answer, "This family has been through arranged marriage after arranged marriage for several years now and..." Ethan sighed gently, "And after reflecting the thought of arranged marriage placed upon you two made me think... I'm no better than your great grandfather." He stated with a faint scoff, "I promised myself I would never come to this, but after seeing that glare of acrimony. That look of hatred. That look of frustration. All of those emotions shielding the one emotion I never expected to see to this day, suddenly appear on my sons face as he dashed out of this room." Ethan looked up at Evie with a pained expression hidden behind a weak grin, "So I'm going to negotiate with our allies."

"How are you going to do that, father? You know they will not be happy about this." Evie stated.

"I know, Evie..." He sighed deeply, looking down, "But your brothers happiness compared to our allies is much more important and much more stronger. You know that quite well, Evie." Ethan chuckled lightly.

Evie gave a crooked smile before turning it into a more genuine one as she watched her father continue writing. She was in disbelief on their father going to such lengths, but that's one thing she adored about him. As weeks passed by, Ethan ended up staying up longer than usual which worried Evie. The young lass had to keep a close eye on him as she took care of him alone most of the day seeing as to how Jacob stopped assisting and George was only able to assist every now and again if not doing missions.

Things became a little rough for the lass which led her to countless worries. As Ethan was becoming weaker by the day, she ended up having to call the doctor. When the doctor checked on him, he gave news that neither of them wanted to hear. Evie stayed by his side the whole time, barely getting a wink of sleep.

"Evie?" Ethan nudged her gently, speaking weakly, "Evie, wake up..."

"Hm? Oh... yes, father?" She stretched with a yawn, "What is it you need, father?" The adolescent looked up to her father sleepily.

"With the amount of time I have left, I'd appreciate it if you could give this to Jacob next time you see him." He spoke gently, having difficultly on finishing his sentences as his breathing continued to weaken.

"What is it?" She looked at the folded up paper wondering what it was.

"It's... it's something that will bring a smile back to that young man's face." His chuckle led him to a cough, "So please... give that to him." He smiled weakly, "That's all I ask."

"I will, father... I will." Evie smiled painfully with tears sliding down her cheeks, feeling a sharp piercing pain hit her in the gut, leading her to feel as though their father is nearly reaching his last breath, "Please continue to rest. I'll call for the doctor to check on you again."

"There's no need for that, Evie..." He laughed lightly, waving his hand slowly, having difficulty of moving, "I'll be better when I wake, okay? You should get some good nights sleep as well." Ethan smiled, "You've been taking great care of me the past few weeks, so please... regain your strength. I'll be fine in the morning." He gestured her off to go to bed.

Evie was very hesitant on leaving her father be, but she knew she couldn't refuse his orders or else it will be a nuisance to him having to bicker with her so she gave in and walked down the hall. She sighed deeply, her mind making her fret over the outcomes and circumstances that she didn't even realize she ended up in Jacob's room.

"Hm?" When she lied down, a musky scent entered through her nose, making her jerk up, "How did I end up in Jacob's room...?" Evie questioned herself, confused, yet didn't mind as the scent calmed her.

She was a bit concerned of if her brother would find it odd of her sleeping on his bed, but she recalls he rarely ever returns home before morning. Evie sighed deeply as she lied back down, hugging one of his pillows, admiring the scent of her brother. The lass felt a bit odd by the smell, but she brushed off the emotion, hugging the pillow even tighter, burying her face in it, imagining she was embracing Jacob. Her heart began to race by the thought, yet also calmed her nerves which ended up helping her drift off into a deep slumber.

Coldness washed over Evie, awakening her from her deep slumber. Everything was blurry as she blinked several times to help her eyes become more focused on her vision. She heard birds chirp, making her turn her head, following the sound, soon leading her to be blind for a moment by the bright light from the sun entering through the windows. As she woke, she looked around, noticing she was still in her brother's room, completely forgetting where she fell asleep. Her eyes landed on the sight of her brother, making her jump out of bed with a racing heart. The lass felt bad and embarrassed of what happened that she fled the room to go check on their father.

"Father?" She called out to him while trying to calm her racing heart, "F-Father...?"

Evie slowly walked up closer to him, worried sick by the sight of his skin being pale. Once she placed her hand on him, she covered her mouth, holding in her whimpering as tears began to slide down her cheeks. She closed her eyes tightly, tears overflowing, covering her face. The lass bolted back to Jacob's room, nudging him roughly to wake him up. He was half awake when she pulled him up and rushed him to their father's room. Once they entered his room, they both were in tears. Evie wiped away her tears, trying to stay strong, soon handing Jacob the piece of paper.

The reaction she saw on his face when he read the paper made her feel like she got stabbed deeply into her chest to where she could barely breath. Evie picked up the paper his hands weakly tossed to the side. When the lass read it, some tears continued to shed with a very painfully faint grin crossing her face. She was both happy and sad at that moment. Happy that his engagement was cancelled and sad that their father passed.

 _Dear Mr. Ethan Frye,_

 _I am happy to inform you that we have come to an agreement on the requests from both sides. If the brotherhood is willing to increase our strength and security, I hereby state, that our arrangements on marriage from now and in the future, will no longer be needed to serve this family nor the others. I'm looking forward to working beside you and the brotherhood, hand in hand, from this day forth._

Evie dropped the paper and wiped away her tears to sit beside Jacob, comforting him the way he has comforted her. The twins were in severe pain to where they didn't know what to do at that point. Evie was lost on what to do that her legs made her rush out the door to find George and fetching a doctor to come to their house. After given the news, George informed them on the day of his funeral which left them numb as they awaited for the day to come.

The day finally arrived and everyone said their good-bye's to the man they all looked up to, feared, and viewed as a father figure. Everyone was torn, but not as torn as the twins. Evie stared blankly at their father's casket before glancing over at Jacob who was doing the same. When her eyes looked at his, she could tell there were several emotions hidden beneath that blank stare. There was an urge deep inside her that made her want to hug him tightly and tell him everything will be alright. They both just have to stay strong and stay together as the years pass.

 _Jacob... I want to help him. I want to help him terribly so, but I don't know how to get through to him..._ Evie sighed deeply, her eyes looking everywhere on the ground, trying to think of what to say and do to help him heal, _I need to do something... but what? I guess when we walk home I'll come up with something._

Once the funeral came to an end, she walked over to her brother and suggested they go home. Though when she did, she felt stung by the way he pushed her away. Concerns crossed her rapidly to where she rushed to him, worried sick of what he was going to do. She didn't want him to leave on his own, knowing he would do something reckless with the amount of emotions she knew he had hidden beneath that blank expression. As they came to a complete stop in their tracks with Jacob in her arms, tears were about to escape her eyes, but she held them back after hearing her brother breathing heavily as he began to tremble. Just by that, she knew he was beginning to reach the edge of breaking down to which led her to say those three simple words. Three simple words that were difficult for her to say since her heart was overflowing with feelings shes never felt before. Her heart pushed those words right out of her throat, leaving her in shock, yet happiness warming her up from the depths of her heart.

"I love you." She buried her head in his back, tightening her grip, "I love you so much, Jacob..." With those final words, she felt she confessed to him.

 _ **Present Time...**_

"W-Wait a moment... a-are you telling me when you said those words, they were..." Jacob fell silent.

Evie nodded, "Those were words of confession, brother..." She looked at him sheepishly, biting her bottom lip as she clenched her hands tightly together, her heart beating out of her chest.

"Dear Lord..." Jacob looked away, standing up, pacing back and forth, covering his eyes after coming to a halt, "I thought... I thought you were saying it in a family kind of way." He looked over at her.

She shook her head with a weak laugh, "Those were words of confession, Jacob..." A faint grin came across her face, "Ever since I've seen you at your most vulnerable state, it made me realize why I kept feeling these unrecognizable feelings around you. I have loved you for so long that I realized I continued turning a blind eye and I apologize for that, brother." She chucked lightly, looking up at him with just a few drops of water sliding down her cheeks, "I have loved you for years and I didn't even realize it." Evie wiped away the tears that continued to fall, "But I knew in the back of my mind, it was wrong, so I buried them. Which is... which is what actually led me to marrying Henry." The lass bit her lip as she looked down, "It felt wrong. I knew. But my feelings began to rise again to where I felt I needed to take that big step to erase those feelings, in yet, it appears to have just make matters worst."

Jacob looked at her, his heart becoming heavy after hearing those words. He wanted to hold her. He wanted to kiss her. He wanted to make her his after hearing such words leave her lips, but he held himself back. The young man knew he couldn't do that to her. He couldn't do that to Rose. He just knew from the back of his mind he could not take such a step. So he stepped back and reeled back the emotions he had towards her as tight as he could as he continued to listen. Jacob sat across from her, looking at her, awaiting for her to continue.

"Well, seeing as to how my confession has come clear, I assume it's my turn to come forth on my time in India?" Jacob nodded as a light chuckle left Evie's lips.

 _ **Winter**_

 _ **1869**_

Evie was amazed once seeing the sight of India. The sculptures. The architecture. The surroundings. Everything there was breath taking. A huge grin spread across her face once stepping foot onto the land. She was looking forward to seeing what her new home was going to be like, but once the word home came to mind, her heart sank by the thought of her brother. Things did not end well, of course, but just the word of home struck her hard, making her feel as though the wind was knocked out of her. She tried to recover herself with the thought of a future she'll be having with Henry.

"Welcome to your new home, love." Henry smiled, gesturing her into their new home, "I hope you like it."

"I love it!" Evie looked all around, seeing the designs and everything around her as he gave her a tour, "It's breath-taking..." She closed her eyes with a smile, smelling the scent of cinnamon suddenly entering her nose, "That smell reminds me of my grandmother's desserts." The lass smiled softly, "I remember Jacob and I always watched her bake. Jacob would always try and sneak one off of the tray and then getting hit on the back of his hand for trying to steal one." The young woman chuckled gently, "The look of happiness and irritation on that lad's face was amusing. Something that always seemed to have placed a smile on my face each time. How I miss those days so..." She sighed deeply, looking down, "His ruffled hair before he began slicking it back. His amber colored eyes that always changed either lighter or darker depending on his mood. His sly smile whenever he succeeded on getting his ways by persuading others to do his bidding. How I miss it so..." The young woman closed her eyes tightly, holding back her tears as memories overflowed inside her mind.

"Love..." Henry wrapped his arms around her, concerned deeply, "He'll come around. I just know it."

He kissed her temple gently. When he did, she didn't feel much by his affection. It was nothing compared to the affection she felt with Jacob. The young woman tried to shift her focus onto the man she just married, but the thought of her brother kept washing over it. She struggled to get him off her mind, so she wanted to try and begin assisting Henry on missions, but once hearing such words leave his lips, she was shocked.

"W-What do you mean I cannot go on missions with you?" She questioned, baffled.

"I'm sorry, love, but here, it will be more difficult than what we've gone against in London." Henry began, "With the wilderness around here, it will not be safe for you. I'm deeply sorry, love." He placed his hand on her cheek, "Plus, you're needing to stay home to have our children." Henry looked down at her torso then back up at her.

"Are you stating I'm supposed to stay behind and bear children?" Evie looked at him, hurt, "But... I thought we were going to work together." She added.

"I'm sorry to have sprung this on you so late, but after returning, I recalled it is unsafe for you, love. I don't want anything horrible to happen to you." He looked at her with worried eyes, "Just the thought of harm placed anywhere on you worries me to pieces. I'm sorry, love. I truly am." He cupped her cheeks, looking straight into her eyes, showing how concerned he is about her safety, "Please understand this, love."

Evie looked down, heartbroken, but nodded to his request. She couldn't believe such a request, in yet she felt she should have expected this. The young woman looked back up at him, giving him a crooked smile before her lips were met gently with his. Henry released her face, leading her to the bedroom, asking her if she is alright before consummating. Evie nodded slowly, smiling gently, though truthfully smiling faintly as her heart was slowly sinking. The lass was happy, but she felt something was off. She didn't understand the issue, but once Jacob came to mind, she slowly learned it was a mistake.

The evening Henry and Evie spent together was peaceful and quiet. They held each other after their intercourse. Henry fell asleep within seconds while Evie turned, looking up at the ceiling, lost in thought. She closed her eyes, holding in her emotions as her mind was filled with nothing, but Jacob. It killed her. It felt so heart-breaking to her that she didn't understand it fully. Her heart knew the answer, but her mind made her blind when burying it deep inside her, making the images of Jacob vanish, replacing them with the times she spent with Henry.

Days passed by slowly, leading her into a somewhat depressive and lonely state of mind. She missed home. She missed missions. She missed London. But most of all, she missed Jacob. Evie felt the only way to help her keep herself at bay is sending letters to Jacob almost everyday, hoping he would send letters in turn, but she received nothing. Months passed by a little quicker as she fell into a blank state of mind. Everything just in the motion as she was left home alone, being expected to bear Henry's child ASAP, but they had no luck which led Evie into a deep state of depression. She never understood why they struggled to have a child. She blamed herself each time she failed to get pregnant, making her feel it was all her fault which turned her depression into a more severe state.

A couple years past to which they gave up. Henry stayed out much longer than usual, leaving her alone in an empty house. Each time a day passed by her, she began to feel empty. She read more. She wrote more. She cooked and baked more, offering friends her meals. When night fell, she always ended up eating alone. Whenever she looked at her food, playing with it out of boredom, it ended up reminding her of the times she went through something like this with her father and brother which led her to barely eating anything. But after tears escaped her eyes, she recalled the times she ate with Jacob when they were kids.

"Brother..." She mumbled.

Evie buried her face in her arms, wiping away the tears as a faint smile crossed her face, remembering the times she had a happy childhood with her grandmother and brother. She missed those days so much to where she just wanted to go back in time to relive those moments. Days turned into weeks. Weeks turned into months. Months turned into years. It made her feel as though her life was flashing through her eyes to where she didn't even realize she had attempted suicide until she woke up in her room with a doctor beside her, checking her vitals. She sat up, looking at the doctor, cocking her head to the side, giving a questionable expression before speaking.

"What happened...?" She looked at the doctor, then herself, seeing her arms were bandaged up, feeling a piercing pain from both sides, "Ah... geez... what happened to my arms?"

"Do you recall what happened earlier, Mrs. Green?" The doctor questioned.

"N-No. I don't recall a single thing." She looked back up at him, "Do you mind explaining to me on what happened?"

"It appears you tried to commit suicide which explains why your arms are bandaged up right now." The doctor pointed out, "Do you have the slightest recollection on what led you to doing such a thing?"

"I tried to kill myself?!" Evie yelped in shock, "W-When did this happen?!"

"Your husband rushed to get me late last night. You were bleeding to death." He responded calmly, "It seems you slit your arms with your blade." The doctor pointed over at one of the blades George made for her.

Evie tried to recollect on what happened. She struggled to remember, but once seeing the blood on her blade she became pale. The image of her placing her blade on her arms reminded her of the piercing pain as she recalls digging them deeper into her skin. It terrified her after remembering such a scene to where she buried her face in her hands, beginning to cry.

"I... I remember now..." She muffled, "I... I was holding the blade in my hand, admiring the structure of it..." Evie went into a fetal position, hiding her saddened face, "Before I knew it, I was... I was so deep in thought that I lost myself during the process. My whole body became numb which worried me greatly that it appears my mind wanted me to see if I could feel anything anymore." The young woman continued, beginning to choke on her words, "Then... when I pierced that blade into my skin, I couldn't feel a damn thing..." She murmured, trying to hold in her whimpering, "And it seems I tested it out on my other arm, still not feeling a single bit of pain..."

The room was silent for several minutes. Evie cried into her upper arm, trying to keep herself under control seeing as to how the doctor was still there. She wiped away the tears that continued to pour out. The aura in the room became heavy to where the doctor spoke up faintly.

"Thank you for informing me, Mrs. Green." He nodded, "I'll prescribe you some medication to help you with the pain, I'll return shortly after speaking with your husband." All Evie could do was nod.

 _ **Present Time...**_

"Jesus Christ, Evie..." Jacob looked at her with severe concern, "You... why the bloody hell did you try to commit suicide?!" He rushed beside her, gripping her hands weakly.

"I don't know. I didn't even realize it until I awoke." Evie looked over at him, biting the inside of her cheek as she tried to stay strong, "I have the slightest clue on what came over me. I... I'm sorry, brother. I... I don't know what happened."

"Evie..." He held her close, tightening the embrace, "I'm so sorry... I..."

"It's not your fault, brother..." Evie chuckled faintly, closing her eyes tightly, burying her face in the crook of his neck, grasping onto his jacket.

"Evie... you can stop now if you want..." Jacob spoke softly, "I think it would be for the best for you to end your story here. I don't need you to tell me the rest-"

"No... I'll keep going until the end." Evie looked up at him with a faint grin, wiping away the left over tears.

"Really, Evie, you don't-"

"I know, brother... I know..." She placed her hand gently on his cheek, caressing it softly, looking into his eyes gently before looking down, "Anyway..."

 _ **Fall**_

 _ **1872**_

As the years continued to pass, Evie came forward to Henry about their marriage. They both agreed on separation, though Henry felt they should just see how they feel being apart. If things continued to worsen, he agreed to ending it. It hurt both of them, but with the rough years they've been spending together. Well, more like barely spending time together. They came to an agreement on seeing how their year apart would be. As Evie spent time with a friend she met when she moved here, she was finally able to spend time training and being free as days passed.

As months passed by, Evie and Henry were getting on better terms again. They were getting closer like they were before. They were spending time together like back then. And they came to a point of an agreement of putting things back in place and start fresh. But there was one thing Evie requested, and that being able to go back to London to patch things up with Jacob.

She feared his reaction of her return which led her to writing one last letter to send before she planned to head back home for the time being. As fall of 1873 arrived, she felt it was time for her to return, using their birthday as an excuse of returning home, in yet she felt would be of no use, seeing as to how Jacob began to hate the day he was born. Evie was filled with concern, but with the support of her friends and Henry, she took that big step and walked forward, heading back to London, hoping for a decent reunion with Jacob.

 _ **Present Time...**_

"So... that's what happened." Evie looked over at him with steady eyes.

"Christ... now I feel like a fucking prick..." He looked at her, shaking his head with a faint laugh.

"You're not, brother. You're not a prick at all." She cupped his cheeks, "We just... we just seemed to not have realized our feelings until we went our separate ways." A light chuckle escaped her lips that smiled faintly.

"No... I am a prick. I should have... Christ... I..." Jacob shut his eyes tightly, "I am so sorry for how things have been turning out, Evie..." He buried his head in the crook of her neck, embracing her tightly as though holding onto her for dear life, "I'm so glad and so relieved you're still breathing and sitting right beside me. God, Evie, I'm so glad your here."

"Jacob..." She held him tightly in turn.

"Well, this certainly... certainly cleared things." He smiled faintly, releasing her so he could look into her eyes, "I'm so blessed to have you here." He closed his eyes with a crooked grin, cupping her cheeks and kissing her forehead.

"I'm so blessed and so happy to be beside you again, brother." She looked up at him with a gently look and a soft grin, "How I've missed you so..." Evie wrapped her hands around the back of her neck, staring deeply into Jacob's amber colored eyes, feeling as though she was being buried alive by his peacefully steady stare.

Without any thought given, Evie slowly decreased the gap between them, close to reaching his lips. As they were just inches apart, Jacob grasped onto her wrists, lightly pushing her back. Evie was struck with a sharp piercing pain in her chest, lost on why he was pushing her away from him.

"I'm sorry, Evie. We shouldn't do this." Jacob looked at her, his eyes lowering down, looking at the lips that were about to meet his, then looking back up, staring into her eyes, "We shouldn't. We can't. Especially with the state of mind you and I are in. Especially with the classification you and I are in. We shouldn't." He bit his bottom lip, trying to keep himself away from that tempting kiss.

"Jacob..." Evie looked at him with pained eyes.

"You know as well as I do... we shouldn't. You're married and my sister no less..." He looked at her with a look of sorrow, "I'm sorry, Evie... I'm sorry..." Jacob sighed deeply, standing up, rubbing the back of his neck, "Let's... Let's head back to the train and try to sleep this off." The lad smiled faintly, holding out his hand, "Okay...?" He sighed lightly, "I will always be here for you as the brother I am supposed to be. I will never forget this love. And my love for you will never fade. I promise."

"Jacob..." The look of pain never left her eyes, "Please..."

"Evie... please don't make it any harder than it already is..." Jacob looked at her with the same expression, "You're still married, and sound happily about it. I don't want to ruin it for you. And... I certainly don't want to ruin things the way my life is trying to turn towards."

"Happily, huh...?" She chuckled lightly, shaking her head, "Just because it sounded like Henry and I are getting on better terms does not mean I'm happy about the marriage." The young woman looked up at him, "My love towards a certain man can never appear to be broken even if I try to break it into little tiny pieces to make it vanish so I can move on."

"Evie..." Jacob faltered by her words, "Please don't do this..."

Evie stood up which led Jacob to stepping back, she slowly approached him until he backed into a wall. Jacob looked away, not looking into the eyes that always captures him. The azure colored eyes that continue to drown him. In yet he failed once Evie cupped his cheeks, making him look straight at her, keeping him away from what hes been avoiding. The looked in her pained and gentle eyes, made his heart ache. It killed him so deeply to where he soon felt enchanted and lost, suddenly following her lead of closing in their gap.

"No, no, no... I cannot do this to you... I cannot do this to _him_... I cannot do this to _her_..." Jacob grasped Evies arms, trying to fight himself back from going any further.

"Jacob..." Evie looked at him, drowning out the words, _him_ and _her_ , as she stared over at him with a look of anguish in her eyes, one of Jacob's weaknesses, "Let me ask you something then..." Her arms dropped to her sides as she looked up at him, while Jacob did the same with a light nod, "Do you still love me?" She questioned with a firm tone, keeping her eyes on his.

Jacob was silent for several minutes, unable to speak. He knew the true answer from the bottom of his heart, but it was stuck in his throat. His heart was pounding so hard to where it deafened him as though it was trying to push the word upward to help it escape, but his mind made him clench his teeth, making him bite his tongue. The young man could barely breathe as he felt he was suffocating by the words his heart tried to continuously push out, but his mind held them back. His heart knew the emotion. His lips knew the word. His body knew the answer. But his mind held him back as best it could to where he felt he was asphyxiated. He closed his eyes tightly as he looked down, holding in the overwhelming feelings, clenching his hands tightly to where they turned pale. As he felt seconds turn into minutes. Minutes turned into hours. Hours turned into days. Days turned into months. Months turned into years. His heart burst and his mouth opened slowly, coming forward to both himself and to Evie.

"Yes... alright? Yes..." Jacob huffed out as though catching his breath, "I do, Evie... I still do..." He rested his hands on the back of his neck, looking up at the ceiling before his body became limp as his eyes landed back to hers, "I love you... and even though I've tried several ways to move on... my heart always leads me back to you."

His expression turned into a look of a man falling to pieces. Jacob looked down, rubbing the back of his neck as he peeked up. The young man didn't know what was to come and he certainly did not expect to be pushed back and pinned seconds after.

"Evie..." Jacob muffled as Evie planted a rough kiss on his lips, "We... need to... talk..."

"We have, Jacob..." She muffled into the kiss, suddenly unbuttoning his vest and unfastening his belts removing his jacket and vest.

"No... I really... need to..." He moaned each time the kiss became deeper, "tell..." Jacob could barely breathe which made it difficult for him to speak.

"Brother... why not let your body speak for you for once?" Evie chuckled faintly before diving in for another passionate kiss.

"Christ... Evie..." He muffled, trying to control his urge so he could come forward of what happened between him and Rose, but with each rough and passionate kiss, the thought cleared out of his mind, leading his body to follow suit as the night continued to pass.


	12. Bitter Sweet Love

There was no longer any hesitation nor any pushing back anymore. Their craving for one another finally pushed them both off the edge to where they both gave themself to the other. The words and guilt were far back in his head to where it was the last thing on his mind. The moment he slept with Rose was burned in his mind, but with the touch of Evie's small, delicately smooth hands caressing his bare chest, travelling all over his body washed away every single memory of the night before and made it vanish into thin air to where it felt like it never happened.

Evie held onto Jacob's shoulders, kissing him so desparately to where it felt like she has been waiting for this day to finally come true. Jacob was still in complete shock to where he didn't know where to place his hands. A sudden chill hit his back when Evie grasped onto his shoulders and turned him, pushing him on the bed, making him feel the coldness from the sheets when landing on the bed. The young man rested his body weight on his elbows, looking up at Evie, seeing hunger in those azure colored eyes which always made him feel like he was doused, not even noticing her strip tease.

He was so focused on the beauty of her features way more than the figure she was slowly exposing to him. Her pale peach skin tone. Her little freckles he used to tease her about when they were younger. Her small, thin nose. Her pearly white teeth whenever a smile crossed her face. Her well formed structured cheek bones. Her wavy dark amber colored hair, slowly loosening, draping down to her shoulders, covering half of her petite figure. But most of all, the thing that always captured his heart were her beautiful ocean blue eyes. Each time he looked deeply into those gorgeous eyes of hers, he always felt as though he breathed his last breath whenever staring deeply into them, drowning as if he was being washed away from land, seeing nothing, but the color navy each time their eyes met.

Jacob was still in a complete daze, still trying to wrap this around his head as Evie straddled him, only wearing her undergarments. He was in complete disbelief on what was happening to him right now. It felt like a dream to him. One he surely did not want to wake up from. Though once he felt the warm softness of her skin touch his as she lied on top of him, he was in utter shock that this moment was very real.

The gentle kiss slowly turned into a deeper one as they both opened their mouth ever so slightly, tasting nothing, but sweetness from the other before opening their mouth a little more, tongues encountering each other, both exploring each others mouth. After a few minutes of entanglement, they both separated their lips, catching their breath, Evie resting her forehead on Jacob's, both smiling faintly as they gazed into each other's eyes. The young man rolled on top of her, making them switch positions. Jacob caressed Evie's cheek, gazing deeply into her eyes before lowering down for a soft kiss, slowly turning it into a sensual one.

One hand held the back of her neck, tangling his fingers in her locks. The other hand that was caressing her cheek slid down her bare neck, in between her breasts, sliding its way to her back, pulling the lace from her corset, that only covered her top half, removing it from her to expose her breasts. A smirk came across his face as he kissed her gently several times before making the kiss more passionate and intense before trailing down to her breasts, nipping on one of her nipples as his hand went lower. His hand slid its way down, travelling to her lower back, going even lower, his hand sliding down passed her butt, removing her knickers swiftly. Once they were off, she was all bare. He slid his hand lower, gripping onto one of her legs, pulling her up against him with her legs spread, letting him stand between her them. Evie felt a bulge hit between her legs which made her jolt a little, her eyes springing open from excitement, gasping lightly, chuckling faintly, as she looked into Jacob's eyes. Jacob's lips hungrily met Evie's again, making them both suffocate from lack of oxygen as their kiss became deeper.

As their lips parted ways slowly, Jacob released Evie's hair and ran his hand down Evie's arm, caressing it sensually, grabbing hold of her wrist. His lips trailed down from the nape of her neck, lowering to her collarbone, sliding to her shoulder, slowly gliding down her arm, kissing the scar, leading down to her wrist, biting it gently while looking into her eyes with a mischievous look. A light chuckle left his lips as a gentle grin crossed his face. He led his lips to her other arm, treating it the same way as he added sweet whispers her way.

"Even though these scars were caused by a sad moment leading to a bad memory, does not make you any less beautiful." He kissed one gently, "These are scars that show proof of you being a strong woman who can endure through anything. Showing you survived from deaths grip." He smiled gently as he gazed into her eyes, "Every inch of you exposes both your beauty and your strength. Two things I love about you." He rested his forehead against hers, closing his eyes then slowly opening them, "God... I'm so happy and so blessed to finally have you in my arms."

Evie's eyes welled up by his words as she smiled faintly, nodding her head with agreement. She wrapped her arms around his neck, pulling him closer to her, meeting his lips with hers again. Her body heating up by the feel of arousal as it escalated slowly, her heart pounding and overflowing with the feel of love for this man. Tears slowly slid down her cheeks as she kissed him tenderly and lovingly.

Their lips separated which led Jacob's lips to trailing down. His lips starting on her jaw line, lowering down to the nape of her neck, making her feel faintly ticklish by the touch of his stubble grazing against her skin. His teeth biting into the nape of her neck, making her shiver and gasp, leaning forward into his shoulder as a hiss escaped her clenched teeth, leading her to squeeze her eyes shut from the pain soon turning into pleasure as he began to suck on her skin, leaving a hickey behind, one part of her he's now claiming as his own. His lips continued to travel down lower. Kissing her collarbone. Kissing between her breasts as his hands massaged both of them gently before squeezing her nipples lightly, leading her to moan lowly, beginning to pant. His lips passing by her breasts, trailing down her torso, soon meeting between her legs.

Jacob looked up at her with a sly grin, seeing Evie panting with the look of lust in her eyes as she gazed into his. Her eyes gave him a pleading look which made him want to tease her a little. His lips pressed softly against the lips before his tongue slowly slid out, going in between the folds, sliding his tongue up, meeting with her clit. She arched back with a moan, leading her to a pant as she gripped onto the sheets. The young man nibbled on her clit gently, one hand sliding down, one finger caressing her folds before sliding inside slowly. Evie gasped, her eyes shutting tightly as her grip became tighter. Another finger soon entered, both fingers hitting against her chambers, his teeth gently biting her clit which led her to moaning a little louder.

A faint chuckled left his lips while he raised his head. He towered over her, resting his free arm on the mattress, his body weight lying gently on her, his fingers going deeper inside her, making her sound as though she was suffocating by the pleasure. She buried her head in the crook of his neck, biting his shoulder to shield her moans, leading him to hiss which made his fingers slide in deeper, making her arch back, panting heavily. Evie called out his name each time he hit just the right spots. Jacob chuckled lightly, placing his lips gently on hers, masking her moans with his mouth once he began to grind against her, leading his fingers to go in even deeper, passing her cervix. When his fingers went in real deep, her eyes opened swiftly, suddenly huffing out her breath as his fingers massaged her insides.

"Jacob... I want it... please..." Her lips were inches close to his, heat rising to the top.

"What is it you want, Evie?" Jacob looked deeply in her eyes, knowing exactly what she wants, since he's wanting just the same, but he wanted to hear her say it, he wanted for her to beg for it.

"Jacob... I want you... I want you deep inside me. I want to become one with you." Evie looked at his with lust in her eyes, tears sliding down.

"Beg me." He rubbed his cheek against hers, whispering in her ear with a chuckle trailing behind, biting her earlobe.

"Please Jacob... I beg of you... please!" She buried her face into the nape of his neck, biting it after responding.

He hissed then smirked, "Alright, Evie. Prepare yourself." He swiftly pulled out his fingers which made her arch back with a loud gasp.

Jacob took his pants off and pulled her up against his hard pecker, rubbing between the lips before shoving his phallus deep inside her. Once he did, Evie shut her eyes tightly, about to scream his name, but her lips were sealed by his lips. He gripped onto her legs tightly after feeling her tighten between her legs. He knew by the grip, she'll end up with bruises, but nothing mattered at that point. The only thing that did was the feeling of them finally becoming one.

The young man slowly moved inside her, showering her face with kisses before placing his lips on hers. She cupped his cheeks, smiling happily, kissing him tenderly with love. Nothing but happiness surrounded them as they became one. Jacob placed his hands on either side of her, her legs wrapped tightly around his waist so he'll go in deeper. Once he hit her uterus, she grasped onto his shoulders tightly, digging her nails into his skin, making him hiss, leading him to go faster. Evie pulled him in by the back of his neck, their lips crashing together, silencing each others moans. She wrapped her arms around his neck, holding him tightly as though holding onto him for dear life. Jacob separated their lips slowly, his forehead against hers, both of them breathing heavily, their body's heating up drastically as his thrusts became faster and harder slowly.

"Evie... I'm... I'm..." He spoke against her lips, fairly close to kissing her.

"I... I am, too..." She panted heavily, "Release it, Jacob... release all of it!" She moaned out.

Evie screamed his name, arching back as she came, soon feeling something hot fill her up completely, leading her to feel complete ecstasy. He came deep inside her, grunting her name as everything was released. He kissed her one more time before rolling over, lying on the bed beside her. Both of them catching their breath, feeling high from euphoria, their feeling slowly decreasing as they were beginning to come back to their senses.

Evie rolled over, wrapping her arm around his abdomen, cuddling him closely. Jacob looked at her with gentle eyes and a genuine grin. He never knew that this bitter sweet feeling could be so hurtful in yet so worth it until finally being able to hold the woman he has loved for so long, tightly in his arms, claiming her finally as his. He rolled over on his side, holding her close, burying his face into her hair, loving her scent, but once he smelt it, he tensed up after the scent of rose entered through his nose. He closed his eyes tightly, holding her tighter, disguising it as not wanting to let her go, when in all honesty it was to hide his feel of guilt.

Jacob looked at Evie with a faint smile then closed his eyes, kissing her gently, "I love you so much, Evie..." He rested a hand on her cheek while placing his forehead against hers, "Please remember that..."

"I will, brother... I always will. After all, I love you just as much, Jacob." She smiled softly, her eyes closing, falling asleep in his arms.

The young man chuckled faintly, kissing her forehead, wrapping his arms around her, "Sleep well... love..." He held her tenderly with care before drifting off into a deep slumber, trying to erase the feel of guilt to admire this moment before it having to be taken away out from under him.


	13. Please

Jacob's eyes fluttered open after light arose over his eyelids. A heavy groan of annoyance left his lips as he placed his head under the pillow, shielding his eyes from the light so he could continue to rest, but his body tensed up once feeling the presence of someone lying right beside him. He peeked out from under the pillow and looked beside him. When he saw Evie right beside him he clenched onto the pillow tightly as he buried his face in the mattress, pushing the pillow against the back of his head, letting out a muffled scream, trying to not wake Evie up.

 _Son of a... Why is this fucking happening?!_ Jacob yelled at himself in his mind, feeling a sharp pain pierce right through his chest, _For fuck's sake! You buffoon! You idiot! You arsehole! You're a disgrace!_ He kept shouting insults to himself while his eyes shut as tight as they could as he continued to scream in the mattress.

He lifted the pillow off of his head and looked over at Evie. The features on her face once she turned in her sleep again captured his heart all over again, but something tried to cut the ropes that kept leading him back to her. Something in the pit of his stomach made him sickened and shameful for what has happened between them. The taste of bitterness spread all over in his mouth to where he felt almost disgusted by the whole thing. His love for her tried to wash all of those utterly heartless feelings his mind and morals made him feel. His feeling of their love was barely strong enough to rid the feeling of guilt and disgrace. But even though their love is strong, his conscience was stronger to where it overpowered it.

A deep, long sigh escaped his lips while he slowly sat up. He felt piercing pains stab him almost everywhere in his body, his heart and mind battling each other, tearing him apart by the thought of Rose and the feelings towards Evie. The young man could barely take anymore of this. Jacob glanced back over at Evie's sleeping form, a faint grin crossing his face before turning his head, looking forward, checking all over the room to gather his clothes to get dressed. He put one piece of clothing on at a time, trying to think clearly. His boxers. His trousers. His shirt. His vest. His jacket. His socks. Then lastly his boots.

A deep sigh escaped his lips, burying his face in his hands with a groan of mixed emotions, "What the bloody hell do I do now?" He muffled in his hands.

Evie moans as she's awakened by the creeking noise and movement from the bed, "Jacob...?" She peeked up with one eye opened, "What are you doing?" The young woman sat up, rubbing her sleepy eyes, covering her body with the blanket, looking over at Jacob.

Jacob jolted with a gasp by the cause of her voice. _I need to put an end to this..._ He grasped his knees tightly, turning his hands into tight fists, _I need to stop this blunder..._

"Evie... we need to talk." Jacob rested his elbows on his knees, clasping his hands together, his back facing her, "Last night... last night was one of the greatest night of my life." He turned and chuckled with a weak grin, resting his leg on the mattress, trying to put effort into looking at the older twin, "I never knew this moment would ever become real in my entire life, but it did." He smiled gingerly, looking down, rubbing the back of his neck, still not looking her way, "But..." He paused for a moment, trying to breathe evenly while coming to a conclusion he wished would never have been brought up to his mind, slowly turning his head, "But last night was reckless." His eyes finally landed on hers with a stern look as he looked over at her.

"Jacob-"

He held up his hand, stopping her from speaking, "Please let me finish..." He closed his eyes, trying to hide his pain by inhaling deeply and exhaling slowly, putting effort into loosening his muscles to think and speak calmly, "I love you... I love you so deeply that it asphyxiates me for doing this..." He opened his eyes slowly, his eyes welling up, "But we shouldn't have done this... you knew as well as I did that this was a... I don't want to say this, but it was a... it was a mistake." His lips began to tremble as his heart throbbed, "We shouldn't have gone this far. We shouldn't have done such a forbidden act. Our love may be strong, but... but not strong enough for this to continue." He closed his eyes tightly, some tears running down his cheeks, shaking his head slowly, "We need to be realistic here, Evie..." He chuckled lightly, trying to bear the pain in his chest, "This needs to end here... and this needs to end now... do I make myself clear?" He opened his eyes, looking at her firmly.

Evie clenched her chest tightly, not knowing what to say as she was stunned by his words, soon letting her heart speak, "I disapprove such a request, brother..." She looked at him, stingy, "I know from the bottom of my heart and the words you speak, show proof on how strongly we love each other." The young woman bit her bottom lip before continuing, "I don't want things to end... and I know you don't either." She looked at him with steady eyes, "So why are you walking away from something both, you and I, have longed for?" The blanket draped down when she placed one hand on his shoulder while the other cupped his cheek, looking deeply into his eyes, "Why are you struggling away from something you tried to fight for?!"

"Christ, Evie!" He jerked her back, covering her up, "Will you stop and listen and think for once?!" His hands grasped onto her arms, "I knew that nothing good would come from this, in yet my body followed suit." He looked down, releasing her, "I may have made my bed and lied in it, but for Christ's sake, Evie! I tried stopping you! I tried stopping myself!" He glared at her, "For God's sake... we need to be practical, Evie..." His jaw clenched tightly, teeth gritting out of frustration, "This needs to stop before it causes even more of a fuss." He peered into her eyes, "Now let me say this one last time... do I _make_ myself _clear_?"

"I still disapprove of this, brother..." Her eyes became blinded by tears, "I love you just as much as you love me." Evie's hands gripped tightly onto the sheets, "Please don't do this, Jacob."

He felt the wind get knocked out of him once he saw Evie shed tears that he wanted to touch her cheek and comfort her, but he knew nothing good would come of it, "Evie... I'm sorry, but I can't do this anymore." He turned swiftly, bolting up, "I just can't..." His hands clenched tightly, his back facing her, "I love you, sweet sister... _**never**_ forget that." Jacob began to walk to the door, not looking back, but stopped in his tracks once his hand landed on the doorknob, "I'll never forget this moment and I'll always treasure it in the depths of my heart..." He spoke weakly, trying to hide the crackling tone in his voice by clearing his throat, wanting to kiss her one last time before opening the door, but gripped tightly on the reins as he turned the doorknob.

He was about to open the door, but Evie swiftly shut it, keeping him away from leaving.

"For the love of God, Evie..." Jacob rested his head on the door, his hand clenching the doorknob, "Stop... please... just stop making this harder than it already is!" He closed his eyes tightly, slamming his free hand on the door.

"Jacob... please don't do this." Evie cried out, "Please do not make the same mistake I've made."

"And what mistake besides this do we have in common? Hm?" He growled, glancing behind himself, seeing his sisters saddened face.

The words that he used stung her sharply, but she tried to stay composed, "You're going to confess to Ms. Moore so you can move on, are you not?" Evie questioned lowly.

Jacob tensed up once hearing Rose's name, leading him to remembering the night before last, "I..." Silence filled the air for a whole minute before his lips slowly opened to speak, "I don't know, Evie... I just don't know."

"I presume that's a yes..." Evie stepped back, her arms dropping to her sides as she looked down, "Before you take such a big step as I did... please think twice before you begin something you might regret someday. Alright, darling brother?"

The whole room was heavy on both of them. It was just complete silence for a few minutes before Jacob was about to respond. He opened his lips slowly, but closed them, answering her with just a faint nod before walking out of the room, leaving the building. Evie stood there, filled with nothing, but agony as she saw him walk out of the room, not even looking back at her, nor answering her with his voice. He just left with complete silence.

As Jacob left the building from the rooftop, he was so lost in thought to where he didn't notice a figure see him leave the hotel.


	14. An Unwanted Birthday

"What the hell is wrong with me? First Rose now... now Evie..." Jacob hid behind a chimney, leaning against it before sliding down into a fetal position, "What the hell do I do now?!" He gripped onto his arms, his nails digging into his sleeves, close to reaching his skin, "It's obvious of what I should do in yet..." He growled with frustration, "I'm such a fucking disgrace! I'm such a bastard! I'm such a damn idiot!" He muffled into his sleeve continuosly wiping away the tears, his anger towards himself rising to the very top, "I need to stop this. I need to end this. I need to end all of this. I can't... I can't take it anymore!"

Jacob rose to his feet quickly, wiping away the left over tears, beginning to run to the train. He was in deep thought when he ran. Wondering what he should do. Wondering what he can even do. The love for his sister just continued to grow and overflow inside his heart while the love for Rose pulled him back to reality. He didn't want to make any choices, but he knew he had to. The young man just didn't know what to do nor how to even control what was going on. He found the train and chased after it as fast as he could so he could reach his room, change his clothes, and think things over. The young man hopped onto the train and rested his hands on his knees, catching his breath. He stood up straight, resting his hands on his sides, looking up at the ceiling letting out a deep sigh. When he looked forward all of his muscles tensed up as his eyes widened.

"H-Hey, Greenie!" Jacob chuckled awkwardly.

"Good morning, Mr. Frye." He smiled genuinely at him, which made Jacob's chest tighten.

"Well, I see you're working right now, so I'll leave you to it, Henry. I have some things to do as well, so if you'll excuse." Jacob waved as he rushed passed him, heading toward his room.

"Oh! Wait! Mr. Frye?" Henry called out to him, leading Jacob to stop in his tracks.

"Y-Yes, Greenie?" He turned slowly, putting effort into keeping himself composed.

"Can I speak with you for a moment? I'd like your opinion on something." Henry asked, "It's about your sister."

Jacob froze, gasping faintly, holding his breath, but tried to hide his look of discomfort, "Hm? Oh, of course, but would you mind asking me later? I have some things to do today, so my hands are full at the moment." Jacob dashed off to his room, not giving Henry the option to answer, trying to ease his racing heart, "Okay... I need to think things through." He spoke lowly to himself, beginning to change, "I need to clear things up. I need to put an end to things. I need to... God there's so much to try and clear!" Jacob groaned with irritation, trying to think straight, "Sod it."

Jacob jumped off the side of the train after changing and ran, leaving his legs to lead themselves. It appears the first thing his legs led him to was where he normally meets Abberline. He tilted his head slightly, a bit confused on why his body led him there, but after thinking clearly about it, missions always did clear his mind so he didn't have much to complain about it.

"Hm? Oh! Good morning, Mr. Frye." Abberline chuckled, looking a bit startled to see Jacob, "It's a bit unusual for you to be willing to work today." He cocked his head to the side, a bit taken aback.

"Whatever do you mean?" Jacob was confused of his statement.

"Never mind that." He chortled faintly, looking a bit tensed all of a sudden.

"Freddy... what are you hiding from me?" Jacob narrowed his eyes, trying to read the older man's facial expression.

"I have nothing to say to your question." He looked away, "But if you're intrigued to know, I suggest you meet with your little lady." A smirk came across his face, "She's waiting for you at the pub."

"My little lady...?" He thought for a moment before he became frozen stiff with his heart beating out of his chest as his face turned red, "Rose..." Once her name left his lips, his body made him bolt to the bar in Whitechapel without a second thought.

While he free ran his way to the pub, running and jumping from building to building, he felt eyes on him, before hearing his name be called out. A gasp left his lips, close to freezing in place, but his body ended up making him run faster once hearing the familiar voice. He didn't want to stop this time. The young man needed more time to think. Jacob needed time away from the woman he tried to move away from. His heart and emotions wanted to pull him back, in yet his mind and morals kept pushing him forward and away from something he has wanted for so long.

"I need to stop looking back..." He mumbled to himself, heaving, beginning to overdo himself on the running, but his body wouldn't stop, not until he reached his destination, "Goodness... that's got to be a new record..." Jacob chuckled, resting one hand against the building, leaning forward, catching his breath.

Jacob tried to compose himself before walking into the bar. He called out Rose as he entered. Once he stepped foot inside all he saw was a nervous looking Rose. He was perplexed by her expression. He didn't know how to approach her since the past few days have been a bit overwhelming for him, but he breathed in deeply and exhaled slow as he approached her as calmly as he could.

"J-Jacob! Good morning, love." Rose laughed awkwardly.

"G-Good morning, d-darling." Jacob looked at her, feeling a bit awkward himself, but was more distracted with how she was acting, "Is something the matter?" He questioned, a little lost on her expressions, "Abberline told me to come see you."

"Damn it, Abberline..." Rose mumbled to herself, looking away, "W-Well, seeing as to how you're here, mind spending the day with me?" She asked with a huge grin, trying to hide something behind that smile.

"Don't you have work today?" Jacob asked, "Plus, I have some things to cater to today with some of my associates and clients to-?!" He jolted by the sudden peck on the lips, his cheeks becoming hot, exposing his embarrassment by his skin becoming faintly crimson.

"I think they would understand you taking at least one day off, Jacob. Especially this day." Rose giggled, smiling genuinely at the young man, "So would you please care to share the day with me today?"

"I... I assume today will be fine..." He chuckled lightly, rubbing the back of his neck, calming his racing heart, "W-What did you have in mind for today?"

"Well..." Rose bent down behind the bar, picking something up, "I was wondering if you were interested in going to the park and having a picnic with me near the pond." She grinned, setting the box down, "I made your favorites."

"M-My favorites?" Jacob was baffled.

"Your favorite food, your favorite drinks, even your favorite activities." Rose giggled, her face becoming a shade darker.

"H-How..." Jacob's face joined Rose's expression.

"From the stories you've told me, I remember every detail to the very T." She smiled sheepishly.

"Amazing..." The young man looked down, smiling warmly, chuckling with the feel of slight shock, "How in the world... I... wow..." Jacob looked up at the lass and gave her a gentle smile, not knowing what he should say or how to feel, but he did know one thing, and that was his overwhelming feeling from earlier vanished, "Thank you." Is all he knew he could say.

Rose nodded faintly with a grin, "Shall we go?" She walked around the bar and stood beside Jacob, looking up at him.

"Yes. Let's." He held out his arm, Rose linking hers with his, "Let me carry that for you." Jacob grabbed hold of the basket and carried it.

"I'm not that weak, Jacob." She snickered, "I carry loads of boxes filled with alcohol almost every single day. So this basket is very light to me." Rose smiled up at him, "But as the gentleman you are, I'll let you carry it." Her smile turned into a smirk, nudging him gently, "Thank you." Her lips grazed his cheek.

"You're welcome." Jacob chuckled, confused by the feel of flattery he had by Rose's words.

Rose and Jacob had a peaceful walk to the park. Most of the way there was silent, in yet comfortable. The young man had slight difficulty keeping his mind off of what happened last night, but he shook his head, trying to erase the moment so he could focus on what's happening at this moment. He glanced over at Rose every now and then, thinking to himself on why there was so much difficulty between himself and Rose. She's the ideal woman any man would go for. In yet, Jacob had difficulty viewing her as a significant other. He had no clue on the reason, but from the moments he's spent with her, his view was changing little by little, until Evie returned.

Jacob sighed deeply, looking down. He was so lost in thought that he didn't realize they were at the park until Rose called out to him. The young woman set a blanket down and pulled out all of the food, drinks, and activities. Jacob's eyes lit up with the look of excitement as his smile turned into a childish grin once seeing his favorite food and drinks.

"You really did remember..." Jacob spoke softly, his eyes glued to the items she set on the blanket, "Very impressive, Rose."

"Well, when it comes to someone you really care about. You'd remember everything and do anything." She smiled at him softly, "For all the things you've done for the city, for all the citizens, and even for me... you deserve a treat."

"If anything, you've helped me way more than I can count, so I should be doing this for you." He laughed lightly.

"There's no need to, Jacob. Your presence is good enough for me. Plus, today is your special day after all, so you shouldn't worry about anything today, alright?" Rose smiled at him once more before preparing food for him.

My special day...? What is so special about today? What is she talking about...? Jacob cocked his head to the side, thinking of why today is so special.

"Say _ahh_." Rose held a spoon up near his lips.

Jacob was hesitant at first, his face turning red by embarrassment. He looked around before opening his lips for her. His heart began to beat out of his chest again. The young man felt childish by the offer, but in the end he didn't mind it at all. The whole day was comforting that all the feeling of guilt, disgrace, disgust, heartbreaking, every single feel of discomfort evaporated as though it didn't exist. At least not at this moment. The day flew by with a breeze and was nothing, but fun, fulfilling, and relaxing all around.

"Thank you for this fun little date." Jacob smiled faintly, hiding his look of shyness, thinking how stupid it was for him to be feeling those stupid teenage hormones all over again, "Its been awhile since I've taken a day off to just relax like this."

"You're welcome." She smiled softly at him, "Though today's not over yet." The young woman collected everything up and placed it in the basket.

"Hm? What do you mean?" The young man was clueless.

Rose shook her head with a giggle, "I can't believe you're forgetting your biggest day EVER!" She grabbed the basket and then his hand, rushing back to the bar.

"W-Wait, what's going on? What's so important about today?" Jacob still had no clue.

She groaned, rolling her eyes, "Just follow me."

Within a few minutes they returned to the pub, Jacob walking in blindly, by Rose's hands shielding his eyes, "Why must you blind me?" Jacob questioned, feeling around.

She removed her hands, exposing what was before him, "SURPRISE, JACOB!" Everyone Jacob knew shouted with joy, "Happy Birthday, big guy!"

"Rose..." Jacob groaned, "You know I don't like celebrating my birthday..."

"I know, but... since your sister has returned, I thought I might try getting you to like it again, by having you and your sister celebrate it together." She smiled shyly, praying he wouldn't get upset by the surprise.

"You didn't have to, but... thank you." He smiled faintly, "I appreciate your gestures every time." The young man kissed her temple gently.

"That's not all though, I have something upstairs for you. Go check it out." The young woman smiled, gesturing him to go up to her room while she went behind the bar to serve some drinks before he returned to the party.

Jacob was hesitant, but followed her gesture. He walked up to her room, slowly entering it, feeling slightly uncomfortable by walking in alone. Especially more uncomfortable after remembering what happened between them a couple nights ago. He swallowed hard, discomfort taking control, but he pushed through. Once he entered the room he saw a small box, wrapped with a red bow. He cocked his head to the side, wondering what would be inside. Once he opened, his eyes widened with amazement. He wondered where Rose could ever get her hands on an assassins outfit like this.

Everything piece of clothing looked brand new. A black collared undershirt. A red vest with knitted patterns of the creed, two jet colored belts wrapped around it. A long black coat with the symbol of the creed on the right side. Finishing off with long black slacks. Jacob was impressed by the design that he couldn't wait to try it on. As Jacob began to strip down, arms suddenly wrapped around him from behind. Jacob flinched for a moment, chuckling lightly as he placed his hand on the person's arms that were hugging him tightly.

"I'll be down soon." He held one hand gently, kissing the back of it, "I must say, I'm impressed on the clothing you've chosen. It looks very-?!" Once Jacob turned, his lips were sealed, not by the woman he spoke to last, but by the one he tried to avoid, "Evie..." Jacob breathed out, "W-What the..."

"Happy Birthday, brother." She grinned.

"Why... What are you doing up here, Evie? Why... I thought we went through this already!" Jacob was baffled by the whole thing, backing himself into a corner.

"I know, brother... I know and I'm sorry I just..." Evie bit her bottom lip, confused of the whole thing, just as much as Jacob, "I just... I don't know why, but after both of us coming forward, it's been overwhelming me this whole time to where I can barely hold myself back anymore!" She looked over at him, a little frightened by the whole feeling, "I don't know what to do, Jacob... I just..."

"Evie... I know how you must be feeling, but... I can't believe I'm saying this aloud, but... we have to leave these emotions behind us." He stared steadily at her, "We can't let our emotions take over us because all it's doing is leading us to something other's would find wrong." He scoffed, "You of all people should know! For Christ's sake! Get a hold of yourself!" His stare turned into a pierced glare, "What happened to the intelligent, courageous, and resourceful woman I looked up to?! What happened to the woman who thought clearly and rationally?! What happened to the woman who could... what happened to the Evie that always followed her mind and not with her heart?"

"What happened to the man who used to always follow his heart and not with his mind? Hm? What happened to the man who would do anything to get what he wanted? What happened to the man who would do anything to help others? What happened... what happened to the Jacob that was my other half?" Evie questioned the same.

"Well... appears our years apart has changed us completely." Jacob scoffed, shaking his head, "We're practically strangers, Evie." He looked at her sternly, "Ever since you've left, I had to change everything in order to move on. I was suffering year after year and right when I was close to moving on..."

"I came back..." Evie looked at him, shocked, shaking her head with a scoff as she looked down.

Jacob's eyes welled up once his eyes met hers. He didn't know what to do and neither did Evie. Silence filled the air. Both of their hearts pounding out of their chests, deafening them from the noise of the party that was happening right below.

"I'm sorry, brother... I... I guess I shouldn't have returned..." Evie looked down, feeling a stabbing pain deep in her chest.

"Evie... I didn't state that." He looked steadily at her, "All I'm saying is... please stop doing this to me... Please stop making it harder for me to move passed this." Jacob bit the inside of his cheek, frustrated, "I love you... I don't want to lose this feeling, but you and I both know nothing good will come of this if this continues."

Evie nodded slowly, looking down, "I know... I know, brother..." She looked back up at him, her eyes becoming watery by her emotions, "Just remember, I'll always love you... not as just a brother, but as a man, too."

Just by the look of sadness appearing on her face, it ignited something in the depths of Jacob's heart, pulling him back to a flame he wished would never be lit again, "Why the bloody hell are you doing this to me?!" Jacob growled, his eyes closing tightly as his hands turned into fists.

Without a second thought of possible consequences, Jacob rushed to Evie, ending up pushing her against a wall. Evie's eyes widened, stunned by the sudden action, but didn't push him away, she just ended up following his lead. The young woman closed her eyes as she wrapped her arms around the back of his neck, holding him closely. Even though the twins knew in the back of their minds that this was wrong, their hearts couldn't stay away from each other. It was as though their hearts were magnets, always leading them to pulling each other close over and over, each time they try to break apart. They were so lost by their mixture of love and lust that it made them completely forget where they were at that moment.

"What is going on here?!"

The twins gasped, freezing in place once hearing something dropping to the floor with a thud and a familiar voice shouting towards them. Jacob jerked himself back, his face becoming flushed as Evie stayed against the wall, uncomfortable, both of their hearts beating rapidly out of control. It took them several seconds for them to finally look. Once they did, they felt everything was officially over.


	15. Home Sweet Home

"H-Henry..." Evie breathed out, "L-Look... l-let me explain..." All she could do was stutter each time she spoke.

"Please. _Please_ tell me this is some kind of mistake and you two are drunk?" Henry stood in place, having difficulty to approach the older twin.

Evie looked as flushed as ever, her face soon began to turn as pale as a ghost. She was about to respond, but she felt as though the feeling of discomfort silenced her. Jacob noticed Evie was struggling to answer. He knew what he had to do. Not just for the sake of Evie, but for the sake of himself. Even though his heart was throbbing, signalling him to come forward with the truth, his mind thought otherwise. Jacob closed his eyes for a second before making himself play things off.

"Huh? Isn't that Rose?" Jacob slurred his words, pointing over at Evie, beginning to stumble back, pretending his legs were becoming wobbly, swaying backward and forward as though he was trying to keep himself balanced, "Then who is that?" His eyes squinted as he leaned forward, "Evie?! Ugh, disgusting!" He wiped his lips frantically, looking disgusted.

Jacob used this method before when he used to fool around and it worked once or twice back then, so he was praying it would with Henry. Jacob glanced over, seeing Henry give him a skeptical look. The young man was beginning to feel frantic towards the failing results to where he ended up rushing over to Henry, planting a wet and sloppy kiss on him. It made Henry freeze by the feel to where it took him a few seconds to bring himself back to his senses to push Jacob away.

"Hm? Oh! G-Greenie... I'm terribly sorry!" Jacob cocked his head to the side, his face becoming flushed, "I thought you were, Rose." He chortled, "Where, oh, where is my Rose?" He continued his act, beginning to make himself look like a complete idiot. Especially feeling like one, too, for what he saw himself doing.

"O-Okay, Mr. Frye... L-Let me help you sober up..." Henry held Jacob by the shoulders, shivering by how distasteful that experience was, wiping his lips on his sleeve, "I-I'll go retrieve Rose..."

Henry walked him to the bed before heading off to go get Rose who was more experienced at sobering people up. Jacob sighed deeply, rubbing his face, feeling his frustration rise to the very top. Once Henry was out of sight, Evie walked up to Jacob slowly, but was signalled to stop about a foot away from him.

"Don't. You. Dare." Jacob growled, holding up his hand to stop her in her tracks, "I shouldn't have done this... I knew I shouldn't have done this!" Jacob grumbled, gripping onto his hair with both hands, before having them drop to his legs, "I'm so relieved it worked..." He exhaled, exasperated.

"Why did you do that, brother?" Evie questioned, staring steadily at him with disbelief, "Why did you help me-"

"I didn't help just you, sister dearest." Jacob stared daggers towards her, anger boiling inside him, "I did it to officially put things to an end." A deep sigh escaped his lips before he fell back on the bed.

"Why though? Why did you..." Evie fell silent, still trying to wrap this whole mess around her head to figure out what just happened.

He sat up, his eyes looking straight into hers, "Just by the look you had on when Henry saw us definitely showed our love for each other is not strong. Not as strong as you thought." His glare was still plastered on his face, "You're still married to him and you're still in love with him." He shook his head, huffing out a chuckle, "I knew... I knew in the back of my mind that nothing good would come of this. And so did you." Jacob scoffed, looking at her with disbelief, "And look! Nothing good was about to happen just minutes ago!" He stood up, his feel of anger not leaving.

"Jacob... I do not love that man." Evie protested.

"Oh, you don't, do you now?" He folded his arms, eyesbrows furrowing out of annoyance as a chuckle escaped, "Well, this is not the first time I've heard this, now is it? So why do you keep saying such nonsense when, in all honesty, you're still his?" He pointed in the direction Henry went.

"Jacob... marriage is nothing easy, alright?" Evie sighed lightly, "You'd never understand the situation I'm in."

He walked over to the window, looking through it blankly, "Look... I'm sorry. I know I would not comprehend the situation you're in. And I do not want to make this hard for either of us anymore." He turned looking back at Evie, "So I've made my decision... I'm moving on." Jacob gave her a serious look as he approached her, trying to lessen his feel of frustration, but being unsuccessful at it, "I am officially done here, Evie. We are officially done here. Do you understand?"

Evie growled, beginning to become just as frustrated, "Jacob Frye-"

"No, Evie. This ends here." The twins heard footsteps approaching them, "That's our queue." Jacob chuckled, heading back to the bed, "Our time ends here." Jacob lied down on the bed, awaiting for Rose's presence, "Just... just go back to your husband, darling sister." He rested his arm over his eyes, shielding his eyes so he no longer had to look at Evie so he could restrain himself from making the same mistake he did just minutes ago.

"Jacob..." Evie called out faintly with a huff, falling weak by the words, but held herself together once Rose arrived.

"Is everything alright?" Rose walked in with a tray of food, water, and medicine, "I don't recall Jacob being drunk when he walked up here." She walked towards the younger twin, sitting beside him after setting down the tray.

"I shall take my leave." Evie said quietly, "I'll see you both downstairs once my brother's sobered up." She waved, heading towards the stairs. Rose nodded with a soft grin.

"Oh! There's my pretty little Rose!" Jacob said boisterously, sitting up, looking at her with a childish grin.

"Jacob Frye, I thought you had a higher alcohol tolerance than this. What in the world has happened?" Rose scooted up to him with a scoff, placing her hands on his frame to make him lie down to place a damp rag over his forehead.

"Oh, pish posh, I'm not that drunk, Rose." He laughed heartedly, resting on his elbows.

"Says the man who awkwardly kissed his sister and brother-in-law?" Rose giggled, shaking her head, amused, "You're always the type to do the strangest things." She smiled at him gently, "Which is one reason why you are so dear to me. You are a man that is different than the rest." The young woman laughed softly, giving him an eskimo kiss.

"Are you calling me a sore thumb, Ms. Rose?" He chuckled, scrunching up his nose.

"I precisely am." She stuck her tongue out teasingly.

"Well, I shall take that as a compliment then." He smirked, taking the rag off his head, sitting up straight to give her a gentle peck on the lips, "Now please tell me you are the Rose Moore."

"The one and only, Jacob Frye." She gave him a peck in turn.

"Good. I'm very glad my lips finally met the Rose Moore." He chuckled, wrapping his arms around her, resting his head on her shoulder.

Rose did her usual routine, helping the younger twin sober up a bit before getting ready to return to the party. As she did, Jacob stared at her as though his eyes were fixated only on her. His mind wandered per usual, trying to place the pieces together to finally be healed by his past wounds and to finally take his steps forward to the woman who has always been beside him. In yet, his mind and heart still battled, leaving him in the dark.

"And... there." Rose smiled, "You should be feeling better in just a bit. I'm going to return to serve drinks while you get a bit better to come back down, okay?" She placed her hand on his cheek and kissed his forehead, "Holler if you need anything." Jacob nodded, watching Rose head downstairs.

Once she left the room, Jacob sat up, his feet landing on the floor, resting his elbows on his knees, clasping his hands together as he leaned forward, contemplating on his next move. He already made his decisions, so he wondered to himself on why he was still struggling with his mind and emotions. The young man already knew what to do and how things were laid out, but he still felt something was missing. He felt he was missing one piece of his heart, but he just didn't know what.

Jacob dressed up into his new attire and headed downstairs, seeing everyone all happy and filled with joy. When his foot landed on the last stair, his eyes landed on Evie unintentionally. He saw her with Henry, talking and smiling. It stung him a little, but the choices were already made, so he smiled softly and walked around, interacting with all the other guests before seeing Rose being all cheery with the guests, serving drinks. He smiled softly then chuckled mischievously, creeping slowly towards Rose to grasp her from behind.

"Oh! Jacob..." Rose breathed out a laugh, "Are you feeling better?"

"Fine and dandy." He grinned, "And I'll be taking that from you." Jacob took the tray, handing it to Sarah, "Mind taking care of the rest?" He grinned at Sarah, "I'd love to have a dance with my fair lady."

"I don't mind at all!" Sarah grinned from ear to ear, "It's your day after all. Have fun, chap. I'll just be standing here, waiting to hear wedding bells!"

"Sarah!" Rose felt flustered by the words.

"Well, you might not have to wait very long." He smiled teasingly at both the lasses.

"Jacob!" Rose covered her reddened face while Jacob and Sarah smiled as happily as ever.

"Now, let's see how well my lass can dance, shall we?" Jacob swayed back and forth, holding Rose from behind.

Jacob twirled Rose to the center of the floor and everyone made a circle around them, surprised by the sudden move. The song was a little fast pace, but the rythm was soothing and care free to where they danced serenely along with the song as smooth as silk. Everyone appeared to admire the sight of Jacob and Rose as they swept across the room, moving rythmically to the music. The two just gazed into each others eyes as they danced, beginning to completely forget others were there. They were both so fixated on each other to where they felt they were the only two living beings on earth. Their dance came to a complete halt with the music slowly ending and Jacob holding Rose in his arms, bridal style. The two stared gently at each other, a soft smile crossing their faces as their dance ended with a loving kiss.

The younger twin was so lost in the little wonderland him and Rose were in that he didn't notice he was being stared at by Evie. The older twin just sat back, ignoring Henry completely as the feeling of hurt swarmed deep inside her stomach to where she wanted to regurgitate on what she just saw. She knew it was wrong of her to feel jealousy towards the woman who was in his arms. And she most certainly knew in the back of her mind that it was wrong to have those feelings for him still linger inside her, but she knew it couldn't be helped. Evie yearned for this man for so long that she felt stung by the words and the sight of what has been happening. The older twin didn't want to give in to her desires, but she also didn't want to give up. After coming forward to each other, she didn't want things to end. At least not like this.

Jacob and Rose jolted once hearing cheers and hoots surround them, both of them finally coming back to their senses, remembering there were guests. The two young adults snickered as Jacob set Rose down. They both bowed as the crowd continued to applaud, whistle, and cheer, soon asking for an encore. Jacob looked at Rose, both declining the request. Rose was beginning to head back to the bar, but Jacob held her hand firmly, signalling her to follow him.

"Where are we going?" Rose questioned, "Shouldn't we be staying inside and socialize with everyone? Plus, I need to continue serving-?!"

Jacob silenced her with a kiss, "I think those lads and lasses will do just fine." He chuckled softly, "Your friend seems to be taking very well care of the guests and my sister is just as important as I am today." He pointed inside, "Plus, if anything, I would love nothing more than to continue my important day, with my very important lady." A chuckle escaped his lips, "Care to share the rest of the evening with me?"

Rose's face was covered with blush and all she could do was nod with a smile, "So, what is it you were wanting to do?"

Jacob didn't respond, he just led her to a white carriage nearby and helped her up. Rose was given nothing, but silence during the trip. It was peaceful and quiet. The full moon shining down on the two while the night sky showed some stars twinkling in the night sky. The young lass was a bit anxious by the silence, but patiently waited for a response. Once they reached Big Ben, Rose looked over at Jacob with her head slightly tilted, lost on why they ended up there. Jacob helped her off the carriage and looked at her with gentle eyes and a soft smile.

"What are we doing here, Jacob?" Without a response, Jacob wrapped one arm around Rose and released his grappling hook, leading them both to the very top.

Rose wrapped her arms tightly around Jacob's neck, burying her face in the nape of it, tensing up, "It's okay. I've got you lass." Jacob whispered with a faint chuckle, "I'll never let go. I'll always be here for you. I promise."

Rose looked up at the young man, her heart racing a mile a second. She felt safe in his arm to where she had the courage to look around. It astonished her on the view she saw when they were lifted up from the ground to where it was breathtaking. The city lights gleaming, the moon shining, the stars glistening. Everything appeared so beautiful around her, but the one thing that caught her eye the most was the man that was before her. She knew Jacob is a very important person to her. She knew he meant everything to her. She even knew she fell in love with him the first time her eyes landed on him. But she never knew her love for him would be this strong. Rose closed her eyes slowly, her smile growing as she held onto him firmly with love. She never wanted to let this man go, but she had a gut feeling there will be a time where she'll have to. So she cherished this moment whole heartedly.

"Well, here we are, lass." Jacob released her once they landed on the top floor, "I know this isn't anything extravagant, but I wanted to take you to one of the places I come to when I'm needing some time away from others." He leaned against the railing, looking out towards the city, then turning back, looking towards her, "It's something simple, I know, but-?!"

Rose shushed him with a passionate kiss, leaving him speechless for a moment. Jacob chuckled lightly as a smile came across his lips before kissing her deeply in turn.

She separated their lips slowly, looking deeply into his eyes, smiling happily as ever, "Thank you so much for bringing me up here." Rose giggled softly, "It's beautiful."

"Not as beautiful as what I have right before my very eyes." Jacob cupped her cheeks and kissed her softly as a small chuckle left his lips.

"Oh, you..." Rose laughed lightly.

"I know..." He paused, trying to think of how to begin, "I know I haven't been straight forward with you lately. And I'm deeply sorry for that." Jacob began, "I'm not that great with words when it comes to such a feeling as this." The young man began to fumble with his words, "But now that things have become clear... I just wanted to say... I..."

The young man began to struggle with his words. When he looked into Rose's sky blue eyes, glanced at her jet colored flowing hair, saw her fair colored skin, and looked at those beautifully rosy pink lips, his mind made himself see a resemblance of Evie. At that very moment, his chest ached harshly. He had those three words stuck in his throat. The young man could barely breathe. It made him feel as though those words were making him suffocate. He closed his eyes tightly, trying to breathe to stop his heart from throbbing so he could come forward to taking the next step, but it felt as though those words were too big to escape his throat. Jacob opened his lips slowly to release those words, but when he was about to speak, he ended up collapsing.

"Jacob?! Jacob!" Rose continuously said his name, trying to wake him, but the young man was out for the count, only hearing Rose's voice fade in the distance.

Jacob groaned, rubbing the back of his head, "W-What the devil...? Where the hell am I?" He sat up, finding himself in an unfamiliar area, "What the bloody hell...?"

The young man found himself on a couch in a livingroom. It looked elegantly beautiful that it made Jacob feel poor. He wondered on where he was and how he ended up there. The walls were white and looked as though they were freshly painted. The aroma in the room smelt like lavender. The decor looked like it was from a royal lineage. The room made him feel even poorer than he already felt that it made him feel uncomfortable. As he was about to leave, the fireplace suddenly caught his attention as flames suddenly ignited. While he approached it, he saw a portrait of a man and a woman holding two babies that looked like... twins...

"What the devil is...?" Jacob was surprised and confused on the portrait, "Is that... is that Evie and I?" He questioned himself.

"Yes, it is you and Evie." Jacob jolted by an unfamiliar tone from behind.

"M-Mother...?" Jacob stuttered with shock, once his eyes met his mothers, "W-What...? Am I... Am I dead?!" He panicked.

"No, no, no, sweetheart!" His mother, Cecily, replied with a concerned chuckle, trying to reassure the younger twin, "This is just a dream. You're just unconcious right now."

"Unconcious...? What happened?" Jacob gave her a look of perplexity.

"You fell unconcious when you were about to confess to the young lass." She replied, sitting down, gesturing him to sit beside her.

"I did? Why?" The young man was confused, trying to remember the whole scene.

"It appears everything you thought were cleared, clearly are not." His mother responded with slight amusement and concern, "It appears you're still struggling with the past and with your feelings." She placed her hand on his chest.

"But-" His mother silenced him, placing her index finger on his lips.

"I know what you're going through, darling." She placed her hand gently on his cheek, "And I know love can be very rough and very harsh. After all, I've been through some struggles as well, but that's what makes it stronger." She smiled softly, "Love has its hard moments, yes, but that's how it shows how strong your love can become. If you're able to make it through any obstacles with the one you hold and love so dearly, then that means your love with them will last a life time, dear." Cecily stroked his cheek with her thumb, giving him a caring look.

"I... I know, mother... it's just... There are two women that are very dear to my heart, but there is only one piece missing and... I don't know what fits there." He looked down, sighing deeply.

"Jacob..." Cecily lifted his head up by the chin, looking at him steadily with a faint smile, "The only way to know, is to take one step forward at a time. There is so much ahead of you." She grinned softly, "A young man like you will figure it out. I just know it."

"But... how? How will I figure out this whole charade?" He looked at her with confusion.

Cecily shook her head with a giggle, "Just like your father. Always struggling to figure out your emotions." She looked at him with a gingerly smile, "And just like your father, your emotions are like sleeves. Even though you try to hide them as best you can, they always appear most in front of the one you care so dearly about." His mother cupped his cheeks and kissed his forehead, "There's something in our old house in Crawley that just might help you."

"There is?!" Jacob was filled with hope.

Cecily nodded, "Return to Crawley, clear your mind, and search for that last piece. It just might help you, love." She closed her eyes, "I know you'll make the right choice. And with that choice, it will not make me love you beautiful twins any less."

"What do you mean...?" Jacob looked at her, curiously concerned.

"Go now, love. Go find that missing piece." She hugged him tightly, "I'll always be beside you two. Always remember that." As she released him, she vanished into thin air.

"What? M-Mother?! Where are you going?!" Jacob shouted, concerned, "Don't leave! I still have so many questions!" He looked around, but no longer saw any sight of her, "Mother..." He huffed out a sigh, frustrated and lost.

"Jacob. Please wake up..." A voice called out.

"Huh...?" Jacob froze for a moment, hearing the voice in one direction, "Rose...?"

"Please, Jacob." Another said seconds after.

"Evie...?" Jacob heard in the opposite direction.

"Please wake up." The young man was stuck between two voices calling out to him. He was in a slight panic, wondering to himself on which direction to head to. By impulse, he followed the voice his heart led him.

"Ugh... What the bloody hell?" Jacob groaned.

"Jacob! Oh, thank God!" He was embraced once he sat up.

"Huh? Rose? W-What happened?" Jacob rubbed the back of his head, "Wait, are we on the train? How'd we get back here? How long have I been out?"

"Your sister seemed to have been near. She got Henry and he helped us get you back here safely." She looked down, "You've been out for two and a half weeks. You looked deathly pale and I was worried sick when you just collapsed like that. Evie and I have been taking turns on taking care of you. I'm so relieved you're okay." Rose smiled with relief, embracing him again, "I'll go get the others. I'll be back soon."

"Wait..." Jacob grasped Rose's wrist before she could even take a step away from him, "I'd like to inform you on something." He looked down as he spoke.

"What is it?" Rose was conflicted, turning her heels to look at him.

"I have something very big to tell you, but there are some things I'm having to clear before I can even tell you." Jacob's eyes slowly looked up to meet with Rose's ocean colored eyes, "So I'd like to apologize for my recent behaviors and my uncertainty on so many things lately." A small sigh left his lips quietly, "But I promise you I will make it up to you when I return." The younger twin kissed the back of her hand, looking at her with gentle eyes.

"Okay..." She smiled faintly, "You know I've always told you I'd wait patiently." She snickered, "And I'll continue to do so." Rose kissed his forehead, "Take as much time as you need, love. There's no rush. We have all the time in the world after all." The young woman stroked his hair softly, "Now let me get the others. I'll be back shortly, okay?"

Jacob nodded and released her hand, his hand suddenly becoming cold once they separated. A deep sigh left Jacob, lying back down as he tried to sort things out in his head. His mother told him something in their old home could help him figure this all out, so he was going to follow the suggestions, even though he knew it was nothing, but a dream suggesting him such. He was a bit amused that he was going to do what his dream told him, feeling a bit ridiculous by the thought of the sudden near future action, but he thought to himself on what was there to lose.

As he was sorting things out, closing his eyes, someone embraced him tightly, startling him. His mind went straight to the assumption of it being Rose again, but this time it was Evie. The older twin gripped tighter, showing how relieved she was that he was finally awake. Jacob was dumbfounded for a moment, wondering what the whole fuss was about. But he didn't say anything, he just hugged Evie in turn. As he did, his chest tightened and he felt he could barely breathe again. He didn't understand the whole issue, but he turned a blind eye once his mind and heart came to an agreement, leading him to knowing the truth.

"I'm so glad you're awake!" Evie cupped his cheeks, looking at him with relief, "The doctor said you've been working yourself to exhaustion! You had me worried sick! I thought I was going to..." She swallowed the words her emotions did not want her to release, "I'm just so relieved you're awake..." She buried her head in the nape of his neck, holding onto him tightly.

"I'm okay, Evie... I'm here. I'll always be here." Jacob whispered, stroking her hair gently, hushing her lightly to calm her worries.

"I'm glad you're awake, Mr. Frye." Henry walked up towards them.

Jacob smiled faintly at him, giving him a nod. The young man was thinking of what to say to them. He was a bit concerned, but knew if he wanted everything to be cleared, he had to take that leap of faith. He tried to amuse himself to calm his nerves which helped only a little. After everyone spoke to him and the doctor informing them he'll be just fine, the whole room was silent for several minutes before Jacob broke the silence.

"I... I have something to tell all of you." Jacob looked at all three of them, "I'm going to go away for a bit. Let's say a little vacation." He looked down, trying to think of his words carefully, "There are some unfinished business for me to take care of back at my hometown so I'd like to ask if all three of you could take care of things while I'm away."

"You're going back to Crawley?" Evie was surprised, "Then I shall come with. I don't want anything-"

"No, Evie... This is something I have to handle alone, okay?" He looked at her with a look of concern, "Please understand. I'll return soon after, alright, dear sister?"

Henry grabbed hold of Evie's shoulder, stopping her from protesting. Evie sighed lightly, her eyes falling shut as she nodded her head. Jacob looked at Henry and smiled at him with a nod as a thank you. The younger twin had difficulty on explaining his reasoning, but was able to keep it simple enough to keep his main purposes to himself. As he finished his explanation, he stood up and requested they all leave so he could get ready to leave. He packed a few clothes and other items and was soon about to leave the train to get onto the other that leads back to Crawley, until something crossed his mind.

"Should I...?" He was stuck in his tracks, debating on risking it or not, "Sod it..." Jacob unlocked the safe and picked up the stack of letters he did not open, "Here's to hoping this will help..." His hand trembled as he looked at the stack of letters in his hand, slowly setting them in his bag, "Alright... time to go." A sigh escaped his lips as he strided his way through one box car to the next, meeting with the others that were outside of the train, standing near the one he was going to board on.

"You have everything?" Henry asked.

"All set." He held up his bag to show proof.

"Are you sure you're going to be fine going alone?" Jacob nodded to a worried Evie.

"Travel safely, love." Rose brushed her lips gently on his cheek.

Jacob tensed up a little by the soft kiss and the intense stare he could feel coming from Evie, "Th-Thanks everyone. I'll be back soon once... once everything's sorted out." He smiled, heading onto the train.

As he took a step on the train, he was tackled from behind, stumbling forward, catching his footing. He turned, surprised and amused by Evie's actions. Jacob turned and hugged her tightly in turn. He kissed the top of her head and stroked her hair before releasing her.

"I'll be back soon. I promise." He kissed her cheek, "I love you, sweet sister of mine. Always remember that." He whispered so only she could hear.

Evie's heart leaped by his words as a soft grin ran across her face. She tried to stay composed so she wouldn't be questioned. She stepped back as he was walking into the train. Everyone shouted their good-bye's, waving him off. The young man wanted to kiss her. He wanted to take her with him. He wanted things to be easy for the both of them. But he knew it could never become easy for either of them. So he just tried to keep his mind cleared so he can sort things out with ease, hoping the answers he has been trying to figure out were waiting for him in Crawley.

Jacob was debating on reading the letters on the way there, but he had a gut feeling, telling him to wait until he reached his hometown. Boredom began to creep up on him to where it was leading him into a deep slumber. He was inches away from falling asleep until a loud sound came from the conductor informing them they were reaching their destination. As the train came to a complete stop, Jacob sat up with a groan, trying to keep himself awake to get off the train. Once he stepped foot off it, he was soon called out from a passerby. He froze in place, surprised on who approached him with a huge smile.

"Well, if it isn't my good old friend Jacob Frye."

Notes:

My apologies on my lack of writing. Still struggling with writer's block and the holidays that are near are not helping, BUT their endings are coming near to a close. Let's see how things will turn out for our dear young Sir Jacob Frye. Mishaps will be arising again soon, but will it lead him to happy endings? Until then readers...


	16. How I Love Her So

_**Two and a Half Weeks Ago...**_

"Evie? Where are you going?" Henry followed Evie out of the building, a bit worried.

"I'm... I have a feeling in my gut that something bad is going to happen to my brother." Evie lied. The truth was, she just wanted to see where Jacob was going to take Rose and why.

"Rose is with him." Those words struck Evie harder than she expected, "Stop worrying about him so much. He has someone taking very well care of him already." Henry added.

"I know... I know, love, it's just..." The young woman sighed.

Evie slowed down her pace, feeling a bit concerned of herself with all the mixed emotions her body could barely endure. Evie never experienced this before. She never expected a pain like this to feel so severe. In yet as each day passed, each time she felt acceptance and rejection at the same time. It was a pain she was willing to face, as long as her brother stayed beside her. A man she loves. A man she would go to hell and back for. A man she pleads to be able to call her own.

"I know you care about him, love." Henry spoke lowly and calmly, "But there is a time where you cannot always be around him. He has his own life to lead. And so do you..."

Evie stopped in her tracks completely, beginning to feel unsure of how to take this. The thought of Jacob being in the care of someone else. The thought of him looking at another lass the same way he looks at her. All of those thoughts suddenly lead guilt creep up inside her once her mind reminded her of what happened the night before. Evie was very hesitant on how to take this all in. But even though hesitation and her conscience kept striking against her emotions, there was one thing that kept her moving closer to Jacob. And that being a feeling of closeness she has never felt before which lead her to feeling completely overwhelmed, leading her to bolt.

"Evie!" Henry yelled out, dashing after her.

The older twin didn't listen. She just ran to the closest building to climb up to. She was completely lost at this point. She still didn't understand the whole situation they both ended up in. She wanted to let go and to forget everything like she did when she married Henry, but the view of doing it all over again with the man she's married to and doesn't even love, seems like nothing to her. It doesn't lead her to any emotional affect. It just feels like the same emptiness she felt when they failed to conceive children. Evie didn't want to face the trauma she went through in India. Not again.

"Where could they possibly be...?" Evie questioned herself, looking everywhere, using her eagle vision.

"Somebody help!" Someone screamed out.

"Is that...? Is that Ms. Moore?!" Evie jumped from building to building to get to the top of Big Ben, "What happened?!" The older twin went into a panic.

"I have the slightest clue!" Rose looked up at Evie, holding Jacob up, his head on her lap, "He was apologizing about something and... and sounded like he was going to tell me something important, but he collapsed before he could even finish." Rose looked down at him, worried.

Something important? Does that mean he... dear god... He was going to tell her he loves her. Evie shook her head, trying to rid the thought so she could focus on his health.

"How long has he been out?" Evie jolted by the sudden voice from beside her.

"Henry... w-when did you get here?" The older twin asked, startled.

"I just got here." He added, catching his breath, "Let's get him down from here and get him to a doctor." He picked Jacob up with all his might, wrapping one arm around his shoulder.

"Let me help you." Evie supported the other side of him, "Rose, can you get the doors?" She questioned with a small grunt, caused by the hold of Jacob.

They put Jacob in the carriage he used, Evie and Rose sitting on either sides of him, keeping him lying steadily on the floor while Henry drove straight to the doctors.

"There's a doctor near here that'll help us." Rose spoke up, hoping Henry heard her, "His house is just a few blocks away from here."

As Rose was giving directions, Evie was deeply concerned that all she could focus on was Jacob while Rose felt just the same. Without even thinking, the older twin suddenly began to hum the tune that came from the music box they used to listen to when they were younger, while stroking his cheek.

Rose was taken aback for a moment once hearing her humming, peeking over at Evie. When she looked at the older twin, her eyes widened slightly, dumbfounded by her expression. Evie looked scared. She looked as though she was about to burst into tears.

The older twin stroked his cheek softly with one hand while the other rested on his chest. Without even a moment of thought, Evie rested her forehead lightly on Jacobs, her eyes shut tightly as though holding in tears. She suddenly kissed his cheek, beginning to beg the Gods above not to take him from her.

Just the sight of Jacob lying there made Evie fear she was going to lose him. Just like they lost their father. Not just a possible loss of another family member, but the possibility of losing the man she has loved for so long. She didn't want to lose him. She would give everything up just for him to be happy and healthy. She would give her soul to the devil if it would keep her brother safe. She would drop everything just so he would still be in her life. Hell, she would even stop loving him as a man if it would keep him secure.

All of those things crossed her mind, leading her to confess to him all over again, "I love you, Jacob." Evie weakly gripped on his shirt, her forehead still on his while she looked aside, trying to calm herself down, "I love you so much, brother... I don't want to lose you, too..."

You, too...? Rose questioned herself, wondering who Evie was talking about, yet didn't question. "Ms. Frye..." Rose placed her hand on Evie's, hoping to reassure her, "He'll be okay. He's Sir Jacob Frye after all." She huffed out a pained laugh, "He's a man that can cheat death. With the amount of times he has been punched, cut, stabbed, and even shot at, he has beat death countless times. He'll be okay."

Evie looked up at Rose, a faint smile appearing on her face, "Thank you." She closed her eyes slowly, her smile turning into a warm one while she nods in agreement. Without a second thought, Evie blurted out, "Now I understand why my brother cares so dearly about you." Rose's face turned crimson by the comment and cleared her throat, trying to calm her racing heart.

They all reached the doctor, Henry and Evie carrying him in while Rose opened the door for them.

"I knew you'd still be awake." Rose scoffed, shaking her head.

The womans eyes opened widely, surprised of the sudden intrusion, but didn't say anything against their arrival. The doctor pointed out the closest bed and checked on him. When they set him down, Evie looked over, cocking her head to the side when she saw Rose look frustrated at the doctor that was looking sternly at her. But the curiosity faded right when Evie heard a sudden groan come from Jacob. When she noticed he was suddenly in pain, she broke the tension from the doctor and Rose, calling them over to help Jacob.

The doctor checked every part of him, questioning what happened, finding the reason of his sudden collapse. When she was informed, she told all of them that he was just exhausted and that all he would need is rest. Evie questioned about the reasons of his groans when he moves and turns into a fetal position in his sleep. The doctor informed them that it must be by the cause of him straining himself from overworking. Henry, Evie, and Rose were relieved to hear all he would need is rest, but they were still wary after hearing he overworked himself.

The doctor said he would have to stay a couple nights so she can see if there will be any changes. They all wanted to stay, but they were informed only one could stay. Henry left it up to the women to decide on who stays since they were closer to Jacob. Plus, he had some work to do with his former allies. After he kissed Evie farewell, he said she'll see her on the train later, having a feeling she'll be the one staying.

When Rose saw Henry kiss Evie, she noticed Evie appeared to be a bit distant. It left her questioning on why she exposed such an expression. She found it a bit odd since Jacob told her how good of a man he is, but she didn't want to pry into Evie's marriage because she knew it's not her place to question. Once Henry left, Evie turned to Rose, wondering if she'll be okay with her staying.

Before Rose could even answer, Jacob mumbled her name in his sleep, "Rose..."

His eyes squeezed tightly while his hands suddenly turned into fists as though he was in severe pain. He squirmed in his sleep as though he was panicking. By impulse, Rose grabbed hold of Jacob's hand with hers, stroking his hand with her thumbs, looking worried, yet tried to stay calm. After a moment of silence, a sigh of relief left Rose's lips after seeing Jacob's worried face become calm. She kissed his hand softly before placing it back on his chest.

The women's eyes widened in surprise after hearing Jacob call out Rose's name. Rose was taken aback, while Evie felt a little hurt. They both looked at each other and Evie closed her eyes, a faint smile running across her face while a small sigh escaped.

"Well, I assume you should be the one staying instead." Evie opened her eyes, trying to hide her pained expression with gentle eyes and a soft grin, "Please do not hesitate to come get me if there are any changes."

"Ms. Frye..." Rose felt a twinge in her chest when she noticed the look of pain in Evies eyes, "You should be staying with him. You're his-"

"I may be his sister, but he needs the one he holds dear and can fully... trust." Evie chuckled lightly, hurt, since she could tell her chances with him were very thin, "I'll return tomorrow." Evie placed her hand on Rose's shoulder, passing by her, heading out of the building.

"Ms. Frye..." Rose looked behind her, seeing Evie walk out.

"Well, that seemed a bit discomforting, did it not?" The doctor chuckled from behind.

Rose tensed up by the sudden voice then rolled her eyes with a faint groan before looking behind herself. The young woman never expected to see the woman shes been trying to avoid the past seven years. When her eyes encountered the doctors, a glare appeared on her face.

"Rebecca..."

 _ **Present Time...**_

"Benjamin? Is that really you?!" Jacob slowly approached the man with shock.

"The one and only!" He laughed, holding his arms out, approaching Jacob for a hug.

"It's been so long!" Jacob chortled, "How many years has it been now?" He questioned, trying not to feel uncomfortable since he saw him from afar just a little over a year ago.

"About seven years. Seven. Fucking. Years. Can you believe that?" The young man laughed.

"That's unbelievable! You must be married and have kids by now." Jacob chuckled, feeling slightly awkward since he already knows.

"Of course. Got hitched with my best friend right after school and didn't hesitate to start a family soon after." A huge grin crossed his face, "What are you doing back in Crawley? Evie with you? Either of you start a family yet?" Ben asked countless questions, making Jacob feel a bit overwhelmed since he's trying to figure out what to even say.

"I've come back to find something in our old house my mother stated in... in a letter." He lied with a forced chuckle, trying not to sound crazy, "Neither of us are married nor have children of our own. At least not yet." He chuckled with a nudge.

"What poppycock is this?! How are you not married yet?!" Ben questioned with the look of shock, "You're a catch that can easily snag a woman in a heartbeat. I bet there are several women in London that are dying to have your attention."

"Oh, please, I'm just a moderate man." He laughed, "Though there is one woman that has caught my attention." Jacob adverted his gaze as he explained, rubbing the back of his neck.

"Oh? And who would that lucky lady be?" Ben asked, nudging Jacob.

"Well..." He couldn't look at Ben when he began to describe, "She has long, jet colored flowing hair that's as smooth as silk. Her eyes are as azure as the ocean. Her smile just makes her look so pure and her pearly teeth shows her innocence. Her skin is fair and smooth to the touch. And her personality..." He scoffed faintly, staring out in space with a blissful grin, "Her beauty is one thing, but her personality is like a blessing." His eyes fell shut as his head fell in shame from his guilt, "She's caring... she's loving... she's kind..." Jacobs smile became a weak grin as he looked back up, "She deserves a man who will treat her like a queen. A man that will love her wholeheartedly. A man... a man that would never leave her behind. One who she could depend on. One she can call her own. One... one who will stay by her through thick and thin."

"It sounds like you fit the bill, lad." Ben chuckled, smiling at Jacob.

"No... I feel she could be with someone better than I." Jacob tried to laugh it off, suddenly feeling a punch in the gut after stating those words.

"Oh, Jakey my boy. Such a modest man. What happened to the cocky, rambunctious, confident young man I call best friend?" He wrapped his arm around his neck, giving him a noogie.

"Hey!" Jacob laughed, nudging the man off him, slicking his hair back to its usual style, "I've been through... I've been through a lot once I moved to London." He chuckled faintly, rubbing the back of his neck, trying to stay composed.

"I'm sorry to hear that, Jake." Ben looked at him, a bit concerned, "Well, I hope things get better for you. With... With what you've been through all your life, I hope things go up for you." He plastered a forced grin across his face, trying to not ruin the reunion, "Anyway, If you're going to stay in town for awhile, why not stay with my family and I? Would definitely love to introduce you to my family and have you reunite with the other lads and lasses."

"I'm honored to be given the chance to stay, but I'm only here for business and I certainly do not want to impose." Jacob awkwardly laughed, rubbing the back of his neck as he backed away.

"Impose? Don't be ridiculous, chap." The man laughed boisterously, "We'd love to have you stay." He rested his arm on Jacobs shoulders, pulling him along unwillingly.

Jacob began to feel uneasy, a bit peeved, and guilty for the things he remembered. Uneasy and peeved from what Ben did with Evie, but Jacob tried to lessen his annoyance by stating it was in the past. But his feel of guilt swarmed inside him, making his stomach flip. He has regretted placing Bens sister in the asylum, but they were both at fault at the time. But nonetheless it always haunted him. I'm sorry, old chap... Jacob apologized internally, but none of it erased any of the guilt, so he tried to focus on his main objective, since that was his main purpose of returning.

"Is that Jacob Frye I see there?" Another man walked up, rubbing his hands with a rag, cleaning off the dirt from his hands.

"The one and only, Ryan." Jacob laughed, going in for a hug, "How's life been treating you, lad? You hitched like your brother here?"

"Life's been grand. Married to my childhood friend with a set of twins." He grinned from ear to ear, then his expression changed drastically, "Though still a bit saddened I have gotten no news from my sister the past two years." Ryan sighed, "But last I heard, she was in some shady business I kept telling her to stay away from so..." He couldn't finish his sentence, "I pray she's alright though."

"Of course..." A faint grin crossed Jacob's face, trying to hide his look of regret, "Well, if you'll excuse me, I have something to do. I'll return shortly."

"Why in such a hurry, lad? You just got here." Ben walked towards him.

"Please... leave me be for a moment. I need to do something." Jacob looked at him with slight determination.

Ben was surprised, but held up his hands and stood back, "Alright... well, you know where to find us."

"Thank you..." Jacob sighed out a chuckle, "I'll return right when I'm done."

"Okay." Ryan and Ben responded, waving him off.

Jacob rushed off, hoping his home was still intact.

 _ **Two and a Half Weeks Ago...**_

"So, I see you're still the same old cold-hearted woman you've always been, Rebecca?" Rose questioned, not looking at her, focusing on Jacob's conditions.

"It's great to see you again, too, Rose." Rebecca laughed with annoyance, shaking her head.

"You know what? Why not leave this whole so-called, reunion, professional and pretend we don't know each other like we have the past seven years." Rose growled out of frustration, trying to forget her past, "Agreed?"

"I know you're suffering just like me. Don't pretend you're all fine after what happened eight years ago!" Rebecca scowled, turning Rose in the stool she was sitting on, "Stop acting all fine and dandy. Stop being the fake girl you were since we were young. Stop lying to yourself and stop lying to this man you love."

"How do you-"

"Give me a fucking break, Rose." Rebecca scoffed, "You're giving him the same look you gave me."

Rose fell silent, her head hanging in shame. A deep sigh escaped as she shook her head. She wanted to laugh this all off just to rid the sufferage she held deep inside her. She wanted to pretend this whole thing was just a nightmare. But even though she tried to view it in such a way, her memories rose with the will of it's own.

"Not this again..." She closed her eyes tightly, her hands clenching into tight fists, trying to keep her mind cleared, "Please leave the past out of this, okay? I've moved on, just like you have, dear sister." Rose looked up at him with a look of seriousness, "Tell your husband I said hello."

"Of course..." She shook her head with a laugh, feeling slightly offended by her coldness, "Well, congratulations on something my husband and I have struggled on." She frustratingly responded.

"What the hell are you talking about, Rebecca?" Rose cocked her head to the side, confused.

"I'll leave the news for you to figure out on your own. But I will say, you sure glow brightly, sis." She scoffed with the look of irritation and pain as she walked away.

" _Glow_...?"

 _ **Present Time...**_

"Okay, our house should be just around this corner." Jacob rushed around the corner and saw his house was still intact, "Brilliant." A smile crossed his face, feeling relieved, "Now let's see how to get inside."

Jacob looked at the whole structure, slightly concerned it would collapse any minute. It looked like it was sturdy, but he wondered to himself if it would be sturdy enough for him to look around. He shrugged off his concerns and headed straight towards the door.

The young man saw the knob was a bit rusted and the wood was rotting, but it was still standing tall just like the last time he saw it. He turned the knob and noticed the door was rusted shut. Jacob pushed into it, still struggling to open to the point of where he just stepped back and kicked the door open, tensing up after seeing it just fly across the room.

"Well, that certainly made an entrance." He tried to laugh off his own embarrassment, "Now what is it that mother told me about...?"

He began walking around the house, suddenly having flashbacks of his childhood memories.

"No, I don't have time for this." He shut his eyes, shaking his head. Once he opened his eyes he saw something shimmering near the fireplace. "What the...?"

Jacob walked closer to it, wondering what it could possibly be. When he picked it up, he noticed it was a locket. He cocked his head to the side, having it hang from his hand before opening it. When he did, he saw a photo of his parents. He was surprised since he never recalls ever seeing it around. The young man began to search around, hoping to look for more. As he walked into room after room all he could find were old toys and photos of when they were kids. It made him feel nostalgic as he saw old trinkets, leading him to remembering moments he loved, moments he hated, moments he missed, and moments he regretted.

"What was the point...?" He sighed deeply, sitting down on one of the old chairs that was left behind, "Hm?" Something was glowing from a distant, "What's this...?" He approached it slowly, noticing the light was coming from a crack behind the bookshelf in the living room, "How long has...?" Jacob moved the bookshelf, soon leading him to gasp lightly, "What the devil...?"

 _ **Two Weeks Ago...**_

The doctor informed them that Jacob will be just fine. There were no changes in his health. All he needed was rest and a voice to talk to him to help him rest with ease. He appeared to suffer with night terrors and insomnia which made the lasses fall into fear, but as the conversation of the positive moments in the past with him, it gave them comfort to know he will be fine as long as he has the support of others.

"I'm sorry to have to do this to a patient who appears to still be out, but I need to clear the bed for other patients who are in a more... severe state." The doctor tried to speak politely, "If he appears to have any problems, feel free to come get me. And if not able to get my assistance, my sister here will be just as helpful. After all, she did learn from the best." She smiled, hiding her look of annoyance.

"Wait, you two are siblings?" Evie questioned, her eyes widening a bit by surprise.

"Oh, she never mentioned? How shocking." The doctor looked over at Rose, seeing her tense up with the look of simmering anger, "I'm Rose's older sister, Rebecca."

"Charmed..." Evie held out her hand to shake hers while looking over at the irritated Rose, "Well, thank you for helping us with my brother." The older twin put on a forced grin, "I say we shall head out and take care of my brother from here. Shall we?" Evie looked over at Rose, signaling they should leave soon since she could feel tension in the air.

Without a response Rose rushed out of the door with a huff. Evie tensed up after seeing the look of frustration on Rose's face as she briskly walked out the door. Rebecca placed a small grin on her face and shrugged as she pointed the way out, not knowing what else to say besides the farewell. Evie walked out, the feeling of discomfort not fading.

"My apologies ahead of time if I'm not in the place to question, but... are things not going well with you and your sister?" Evie asked, hesitant of even questioning.

By impulse, Rose glared, but sighed and changed her expression into a weak one seconds after, "I'm sorry..." The young woman looked down, "We... We haven't spoken for over seven years and to be honest, I never expected to even see her again. But after seeing Jacob in that kind of state, it concerned me severely to where my mind thought of my sister."

"How?" Evie wondered.

"My sister was in a position like Jacob's before. She was so focused on her studies and her patients to where she forgot to take care of herself. Plus, she was the closest doctor and the thought of losing Jacob certainly lead me to facing someone I never wanted to ever see again." Rose sighed, looking over at Evie with a weak grin, "Anyway, the past is the past. It's best we just let it rest."

Evie wanted to ask more, but she knew she had no right to pry further into her life since she felt Rose was doing just the same. All Evie did was nod and gestured they take Jacob home.

As they reached the train station people kept looking over at them with concern, wondering what was wrong as they wheeled the still passed out Jacob. They tried to ignore the whole attention they kept getting from others, but felt slightly uncomfortable by the stare. Once they reached Jacob's room, they set him down gently on his bed.

"Goodness, I forgot how robust he's become." Rose laughed faintly, falling back into a chair.

"You know you didn't have to help." Evie looked over at Rose with a small laugh, catching her breath, "We could have just waited for Henry."

"I know, but I care about Jacob and I certainly didn't want to bother your husband." She looked over at her with a tired expression.

"He wouldn't have minded at all." Evie responded back.

"Well, he's here and all we should focus on is him." Rose nodded over at Jacob who was squirming in his sleep.

"You're right." Evie chuckled, walking over to sit on his bedside, "Heh... always overdoing himself physically." She sighed as she held his hand, squeezing it.

"I assume he's always been like this?" Rose walked over.

"Ever since we were young he always tried to one up me, so I'll admit, part of this is somewhat my fault." Evie scoffed, shaking her head slightly, "He's always been competitive, but so have I."

"I understand that. My sister and I were like that, too." Rose giggled, thinking back of her childhood.

"If you don't mind me asking... what happened between you two?" Evie asked, tensing up.

Rose fell silent for several minutes, not knowing how to respond since it was a past she doesn't want to remember. Plus, it was a past other's would find disgraceful. The young woman closed her eyes slowly with a sigh, trying to think of how to respond. As her mind came to a reasonable explanation, she spoke with trembling lips.

"My sister and I... we were inseparable. Just like you and Jacob." Rose tried to start off simple, "We would always spend time together, day after day, to where others ended up teasing us that we should just get hitched." She laughed, a stinging pain entering her chest, "Though after those statements, we ended up growing further and further apart as we became older. And... right when my sister was put through an arranged marriage... it was as though our connection just ended right then and there." She scoffed, her shoulders and head drooping, feeling ashamed, "After that, I quit working as a nurse and became something my family despises." She looked up at Evie with a small grin, "A bartender."

"Why does your family despise bartenders?" Evie questioned.

"My grandfather used to be one and it ended up making him become an alcoholic." She stared out, remembering the story she was told, "My grandmother couldn't take much more of his inappropriate moments to where she left him and raised my father on her own, telling him alcohol is horrible and should never be a part of this families life. Calling it the _devils juice_." Rose laughed.

Evie laughed along with Rose, finding it amusing, "Well, I'm deeply sorry that happened to you and I hope things get better with you and your sister."

"I appreciate your kindness, but I highly doubt there will be any forgiveness between her and I. She has her pride and I... Heh... I have my pride, too."

Evie looked down, feeling a sudden twinge, "Well, nonetheless, I hope things get better."

"Things have actually." Rose began, "If it wasn't for my sister getting married, leading both of us to become distant, I wouldn't have become a bartender, nor would I have met my colleague, Sarah, nor would I have met Jacob." She looked down, hiding her dark shaded cheeks.

Evie didn't know how to feel to that sudden statement. She found it adorable, yet so heartbreaking, too. With the look of Roses admiration and Jacobs look of struggle, it made her feel as though she shouldn't have returned. The older twin was lost on how to take things now. She didn't want to let her love die, but... she thought to herself, if she really loved him. She would've let him go by now.

 _ **Present Time...**_

"How long has this been here?" Jacob asked himself.

The younger twin walked further in, leading himself into a hidden room. He wondered what it was that he examined the whole room. As he looked around, he noticed it resembled the room that was in his dream.

"What the devil?" As he headed towards the fireplace, he saw the same frame he saw in his dream. By impulse, he took it down and looked behind it, "Wonderful..." A deep sigh escaped his lips as he closed his eyes after reading something that was written on the back of the frame.

 _ **Meanwhile...**_

"I wonder if my brother made it there safely." Evie paced back and forth, worried.

"I'm sure he's—?!"

"Rose? Are you okay? You've become drastically pale." Evie strides up to her, her worries increasing.

"I—I'm fine, Evie. I just... I must have just caught a bug..." Rose clenched her stomach as she covered her mouth, "If... if you'll excuse me for a moment!" Rose rushed over to the loo.

"Is everything—?!" Evie froze once hearing Rose suddenly throw up, "Are you okay?!" The older twin asked.

"I'm fine... I think I just... I think I just have the flu is all." Rose laughed with discomfort, Oh dear god... did my sister mean... please don't tell me... this can't possibly be happening... not now! Rose thought to herself, beginning to panic, I can't possibly... please... I don't want to make things even a bigger problem for Jacob... Her eyes shut tightly as she squeezed the seat of the toilet, praying this was just the flu.

 _To my beloved,_

 _I may not express my emotions that well, but as I give you this painting of you and I holding our sweet loving twins we so wait to hold dearly in our arms, this is my symbol to you that with our children, our love will be strong and last forever as will our love for our future children. As we grow more together and raise them happily, our love will never break. I will love you forever and always. As I will with our future children. May the creed keep us all safe and healthy as our years together continue to pass._

"I never expected father to be such a romantic to mother..." Jacob chuckled, shaking his head. The thought of a happy future with someone he loves so dearly struck him sharply in the chest. "I will love you forever and always. Huh?" Jacob set the painting down, thinking to himself on what his heart truly yearned for, "Well... all I have left now are the letters..." The young man was hesitant, but he thought to himself on what was there to lose? Jacob sat back down on the chair and pulled out the letters, "Here goes nothing..."

 _Dear Jacob,_

 _I know things between us did not end so well, but I would love nothing more than to fix things between us. I miss the times we spent together. I miss the competitions we had together. The sibling rivalry we had when we tried to grab fathers attention. The cooking competitions we had when grandmother was away. How I miss the times we spent, brother... Oh, how I wish we could relive those days. Well, I'm always here if you're ever ready to reconnect, brother. Always._

Jacob chuckled, a small sigh escaping as he felt ridiculous for how things were the past five years.

 _Dear brother,_

 _I see it has been about a month and I have not received anything in turn. I understand things did not end well between you and I, but I would really try and do anything just so we can figure out how to fix this. As each day passes, it breaks my heart not being able to know how my younger brother is doing. I wish to hear from you soon, brother. I truly do._

Jacobs chest tightened, making him feel like a prick after reading that.

 _Dear other half,_

 _I understand how the sudden news dropped harshly on you, but I never expected this marriage either. I don't exactly comprehend what you have against this, but I would like to. I wish I were there just to speak to you again. I can barely stand the silence. My life without you in it is so heartbreaking to where I can barely breathe. Please, brother... please open back up to me._

Jacobs eyes shut tightly by each letter, his heart feeling as though it was being punctured one by one as he continued to read.

 _Dear Jacob,_

 _I wish you were here. You have always been the one to help me in such harsh situations. You are the only one who can truly understand the pain I go through, as I feel the same with you. I beg of you to speak to me. I can barely stand this separation, brother. I would do all I can just to hear from you again, brother. Please speak to me. Please... I need you._

He struggled reading that one as he noticed it was tears that must have fallen on it as he could barely read the letter. As he read each one, it tore him into tiny pieces, one by one, making it feel as though he was slowly shattering into millions of pieces. The younger twin didn't know how to take it all. But even though his mind struggled, his heart knew instantly. He knew what he had to do. It was a hard choice for him to make, but as he thought long and hard, he knew it was the only thing to do just to set everything at ease.

Without any hesitation or time to think, he bolted up and headed straight to the train that was heading back towards London. Completely forgetting about everything and everyone in Crawley. He wanted to finally make things official. He wanted to put things finally to an end. He wanted to make his future brighter. He wanted to start things he wanted to do long ago. He knew what he wanted and he knew what it is he needed to say.

"I love her... I need to tell her, but first... I need to be honest with her. And to myself..." He spoke to himself, feeling as though he can finally breathe, "Heh... God how I miss her." His eyes closed slowly as he huffed out a small laugh.

The train finally arrived and he jumped out instantly once it came to a complete stop. He ran to the train to put things away and to ready himself to tell her and to ask to have a future with her. Once he entered the train, he saw bottles of alcohol scattered on the floor and a drunk Evie lying on his bed, drinking a bottle of whiskey as though drinking her sorrows away.

"Evie...?" Jacob slowly approached her, "What the bloody hell is going on here?!" He grabbed hold of the bottle and looked at her with disappointment, "Why are you doing this? In the morning, no less." Jacob questioned, irritated and worried, "You know better than to over drink! Why are you being so goddamn careless?!"

Evie glared at him, not thinking as she blurts out, "You say I'm careless?! Ha! Says the man who knocked up a woman he doesn't even love!—?!" Evie cupped her mouth tightly once realizing what she just said.

"Excuse me...?" Jacob shuddered by the words, his pale face washed over with a look of shock, "Are you telling me..." He could barely complete his sentences.

"Jacob, now listen... I'm sorry. I... I didn't mean to..." Evie struggled to find the right words.

Jacob bolted within a matter of seconds, not even listening to Evie shouting out to him to wait, heading straight towards Rose's pub. Once he dashed in, he shouted without a second thought, "Rose... You're pregnant?!"

Rose's eyes widened as her face turned completely red by the sudden question, leading her to complete embarrassment as she became the center of attention in her pub.


	17. One Last Chance

_**Writer's Note:**_ Sorry it's taken me awhile. I always struggle with writer's block when I am near the end. Well, I hope it's okay.

"False alarm, everyone!" Rose shouted out, clearing her throat as she calms her racing heart, "What Jacob just spit out is complete and utter nonsense! I'm not pregnant." She glared over at him, signaling him to follow her to the back, "Sarah, can you take care of the rest please? I need to speak to Jacob privately."

"By all means, take your time." Sarah jolted by Rose's expression and her tone, "Good luck, Mr. Frye." A scared chuckle left Sarah's lips as they passed by her.

"Bloody hell, Jacob!" Rose turned to face him once they entered the back room, "You come into my pub with shocking news like that and not think of the possible outcomes?!" She stared daggers at him, irritated by the intrusion, "For goodness sake, think before you speak!" The young woman groaned, massaging her temple, trying to rid the migraine that began.

"I-I'm sorry, it's just... I never... I never expected... I should have... I..." Jacob kept stuttering, not knowing what to say.

"Look... I'm sorry as well. I've just been under a lot of stress lately, but to make things clear..." Rose looked up at Jacob, seeing worrisome in his expression, "As I stated out there... I'm not." She lied.

Jacob examined her whole face, trying to tell if she were telling the truth. He had difficulty since she has been truthful towards him the whole time they've known each other. The young man could tell something was off, but he couldn't put his finger on it. He wanted to pry what she was hiding behind that weak grin, but he knew she was as stubborn as him, so he didn't try. But he did plan to later that night once everything is set.

"Oh... okay..." He sighed deeply, looking at her with a look of disappointment, before looking down.

"W-Why do you look so down? Isn't it a relief that I'm not?" She chuckled weakly, cupping his face, lifting it up to make him look at her.

"I... don't really know how to respond to that, Rose." He gave out a weak laugh as he tried to plant a smile across his face, "To be honest... I would be scared, but it... it would definitely..." His eyes stared into hers before looking down, "N-Never mind... forget I ever brought this up." He cupped her hands, turning his head slightly to kiss them before removing them from his face, "Anyway... I'll return later this evening." Jacob smiled at her gently before turning to leave.

Once Jacob left the building, Sarah walked into the back, "Are you really just going to hide something this important from him?" She questioned, looking at Rose with a perplexed expression.

"He already has enough on his plate..." Rose looked down, "I don't... I don't want to worry him more than he already is." She glanced over at Sarah, "I'll think of something to... to rid this _problem_."

"Rose... don't tell me you plan on..." Sarah looked at her with disbelief, "You promised yourself you would never go to such lengths if this ever happened to you!"

"I know... I know, Sarah. It's just... with the things he's told me, the things he has gone through in his whole life, the things he's struggled with... I don't want to strain him anymore than he already is." Rose looked up at her with a weak grin, "I love him... I don't him to struggle with things anymore than he already has."

"Rose... please don't-"

"Let's return to work. People are waiting." She walked passed Sarah, trying to treat the day like any other.

Little did she know, "I knew she was hiding something." Jacob whispered to himself, his hands clenching into tight fists as a sigh escapes his lips, "What the bloody hell can I do to help her?" He began to head back towards the train to think things over.

Once he jumped on the train he groaned with frustration as he struggled to figure out how to put both, himself and Rose, at ease. Though as he did, he overheard people shouting in the next car over.

" _What_?" Henry spoke lowly with the sound of aggression, "Who's the father?" He growled.

"Henry... look... I'm sorry I..." Evie sounded frightened, "I was reckless, alright?" The older twin whined out, "I didn't... I don't... I'm sorry... That's all I can really say, Henry. I can't explain how this happened."

"Oh, for Christ's sake..." Jacob breathed out lowly, his heart racing out of control, "Please don't tell me."

"Oh dear God... it's Jacob's, isn't it?" Henry questioned, sounding disgusted.

"What? No! For God's sake, no!" Evie responded instantly, sounding terrified and offended, "What the bloody hell would make you think it's his?"

"Well, from what I've been noticing lately, you two have become quite close. Or so it appears to me." He scoffed.

"He's my brother for God's sake! Don't be absurd!" Evie shouted, trying to hide her nervousness.

"Then whose is it, Evie? You and I haven't had intercourse for the past year, so who the bloody hell is the father?" Henry shouted.

"I-I can't tell you! I'm sorry!" Evie began to weep, sounding scared.

"I need time to think things through." Henry growled, walking out, passing Jacob, not even realizing he was there.

"Evie...?" Jacob called out to her weakly, slowly approaching her once Henry was out of sight, "Please don't tell me..."

"Jacob!" Evie jolted once seeing him enter, "Whatever you heard, it's not true."

" _It's not true_?" He laughed with disbelief, approaching her with the look of annoyance, "You think I can't tell when you're lying? Ha! You need to practice harder then, Evie!" He shook his head with a growl, "Christ... I can't believe myself!" He fell back onto the closest chair, "First Rose, now you?! I thought you said you couldn't bear children! And are you bloody serious? Why the bloody hell were you drinking countless bottles of alcohol if you're bearing a goddamn child?!"

Evie ignored the question of alcohol and had main focus on the name _Rose_ , " _Rose_? What do you mean, _first Rose_?" Evie questioned.

The question of alcohol was thrown out the window as Jacob froze after realizing too late of his sudden statement.

"Jacob!" Evie shouted, annoyance beginning to stir, "Is that why you ran off when I told you, you _knocked someone up_? Are you telling me...?" The older twin fell silent, disbelief beginning to mix.

"Now look, Evie..." Jacob held up his hands, concerned, "I thought you said you couldn't bear children so I thought..." Jacob struggled to find the words.

"Are you telling me you slept with Rose?!" Evie hissed.

Jacob fell silent, tensing up by Evie's sound of anger, "Look, Evie... I'd like to apologize, but what the bloody hell did you expect me to do?"

"What did I _expect_ you to do? Are you bloody serious right now?! I never expected my brother to be the type of man to just sleep with someone so carelessly! Did you do it just to let out frustration?" Evie shouted.

" _Carelessly_? Are you bloody serious?! You're one to fucking talk, Evie! For Christ's sake! And If I wanted to do it just out of frustration then I would have gone to a fucking brothel!" Jacob shouted.

Evie faltered by the words, knowing fully well that those words defined something she did not want to hear, "When did this occur?" Evie murmured.

Jacob tensed up, falling silent again, trying to muster up his confession, "It... it happened the night before we..." Jacob looked down, his head hanging in shame.

"You slept with her the night before we made love?!" Evie shouted without even thinking the possibilities of other passengers overhearing.

"Evie, calm down!" Jacob spoke sternly, but calmly, "You can't just blame me for everything that has been happening, Evie! I tried stopping you that night and I definitely tried stopping myself!" The younger twin walked up to her, irritation rising.

"Why did you sleep with her? To arise our whole situation? To break me?" Evie shouted out question after question, leading Jacob to groaning as though he was beginning to surrender.

"To let go..." He murmured.

"What do you mean, _to let go_?" She asked, falling into worrisome.

"To let go of our love. To let go of this whole situation. To let go... of you." Jacob looked up, his eyes exposing the whole truth, "To move on. To be realistic. And... to be honest with myself." He walked up to her, placing one hand on his chest, gripping his shirt while the other turned into a tight fist, "Christ, Evie..." He turned, grabbing hold of his hair, high tension beginning to fill the air.

"To be honest with yourself? Are you telling me...?" Evie asked, wanting to walk up to Jacob, but was planted in place.

"Evie... My time in Crawley made me realize... I love you... I truly do..." Jacob turned, having difficulty looking at her, his arms dropping to his sides.

"But...?" Evie asked, knowing there was more.

"But... after hearing she's pregnant... that changed my views entirely." He looked down, a chuckle escaping, failing to disguise his sadness, "I may have been reckless, but Evie... it made me realize you and I can't... we can't love each other as man and woman." Jacob looked at her, hurt.

Evie looked down, conflicted on how to respond.

He closed his eyes, trying to organize his next words, "When I spent my days in Crawley... the things I've seen reminded me of why I loved you in the first place. The painting I found that had mother and father holding us showed me what love really is and with what father wrote for mother, it really exposed the truth of love. As for the letters... dear God has it made me loved you even more. But..." He sighed deeply, "It opened my eyes and made me notice... my love for you is not the same as it was back then."

"What exactly do you mean by that?" Evie asked, feeling hesitant on wanting to know.

"My love for you..." He looked back at her, walking up to her slowly as though magnetized by her, "My love for you may still be lingering in my heart..." Without even realizing, their lips were inching closer and closer as Jacob was coming forward. As their lips were inches apart, he grabbed her arms and shied away, looking down, "But I've come to realize the truth of what my heart yearns for and why I kept pushing the feeling away."

Evie felt a stinging pain in her chest, feeling as though he was about to say something she's not prepared to hear.

"I... I love her, Evie." Tears began to slip out from under his eye lids, "I couldn't accept her because she resembled you and... she reminded me of mother."

"How?" Evie asked lowly.

"The times I've spent with Rose has certainly resembled the stories grandmother has told us about mother. The kindness. The happiness. The support. Everything about her matches, Evie." He looked at her, a faint chuckle escaping, "I know it's hard to hear this, but I need to come clean to both you and myself." His lips began to tremble as his eyes became watery, "I love you. I really do, but I swear to God and even to the damn Creed that I cannot continue this with you, Evie! I cannot accept this kind of position we've led ourselves into! I cannot accept what we have done! So listen to me clearly, Evie..." He closed his eyes, trying to catch his breath, "I will stand beside you and support you any way I can if you plan on keeping this baby. But I will only stand by you as a brother... I'm sorry, darling sister... but my feelings officially end _here_." Jacob turned his heels, striding off to leave the scene before it gets worse, "I'm sorry, Evie..." He whispered to himself as he clenched his eyes shut before opening them to jump off, "I'm so bloody sorry..."

Jacob ran off, running wherever his legs led him to just to clear his mind. As heartbreaking as it was to having to let go, he couldn't take that risk. He didn't want Evie to have a hard life. He didn't want her to suffer the feel of secrecy. He didn't want her to struggle with anything that could lead to a possible downfall. It killed him deeply inside to not be able to call her his or to give her the happy life she deserves. He felt like an utter disgrace for how things turned out. All he knew he could give was the support a brother should.

"Heh... Big Ben... one of my most peaceful places to clear my mind." Jacob chuckled, realizing where his legs led him.

 _It's finally official..._ Jacob thought to himself with a sigh, _My love for her has officially ended... here... and now..._ A faint grin crossed his face as he wiped the tears away, It's time for a new future.

The young man climbed his way to the top of Big Ben to release all of his emotions in silence so he could finally step forward with the woman he was wanting a future with. He still struggled the feeling of falling out of love, but he tried to keep his mind cleared to push through and to move on. Jacob didn't exactly know how to come forward to Rose. He felt nervous of the outcomes. He may have cleared things up with Evie. Though a bit recklessly at that if wanting to be honest. But as he crouched once he reached the very top, he felt he could finally breathe. The pain still lingered of course, but it was dull to the point of feeling like a bruise that can fade in time. Though he knew that the feel of disgrace will be with him as he ages.

The thought of him not being able to support Evie as a lover, but as a brother hit him in the chest countless times. He wanted to raise the child more as a father than an uncle, but with Rose being pregnant as well, he felt he was stuck at a standstill. Even though hes come to love her, he still felt a twinge deep down inside himself.

It took him most of the day to figure out what to do. After sorting things out in his mind and calming down from the little fight that led to the feeling of utter shame, he steadily stood on the ledge and did a leap of faith. Each time he did it, it always calmed his nerves and made him feel free.

He headed to Rose's pub to check on her from afar before heading back to the train to clean himself up. He noticed Rose acting like her normal self, yet she didn't look as cheery as usual. Jacob kept wondering to himself on the reason and he was hoping she didn't do anything irrational. The young man kept in mind to ask her in a somewhat kindly, yet straightforward manner to reassure her and to come forward.

Once he entered the train he jolted then sighed as he saw Evie sitting on his bed, "Good evening, sister." He murmured, discomfort beginning to rise.

"I left him..." Evie mumbled.

"What? Why?" Jacob's eyebrows knitted, concerned.

"He's not the father and I could no longer stand the discomfort him and I have been going through for the past years." She clenched onto the mattress, not being able to look at Jacob, "It may be a wrong choice of me, seeing as to how I'm going to be left-"

"Evie, I'm not leaving you. But I'm also not leaving her. I can't and you know that." Jacob interrupted.

"What if I told you, you can?" Evie glanced over.

"What are you stating, Evie?" Jacob asked, taken aback.

"What if I told you she talked to her sister?" Evie looked up.

"Her _sister_? She has a sister?" Jacob asked, surprised and lost.

"You don't know much of the woman you _love_ , do you?" Evie scoffed, shaking her head with the feel of disbelief as she felt stabbed by her last few words.

"I know her more than I know you." Jacob snipped back.

Evie's eyebrows knitted out of anger and frustration by his remark, not wanting to admit he had a point there. She looked up at him with a glare and a huff before gripping the mattress even more. She growled before storming up to him, eager to slap him.

"You infuriate me so much that sometimes I can't even bear to look at you without feeling pain!" Evie screamed with frustration.

"You think you're the only one that has suffered through that feeling? You think I feel good with how things have ended? You think I like how things have been going?!" Jacob fought back, "I'm deeply sorry for how things have ended, but honestly, Evie!" He growled, "I. Tried. Stopping. This! And you know that." He laughed as though he was losing his mind. He turned around pacing back and forth, trying to keep calm, "You knew better. You knew better than I did that things would go south! And yet look where we are now!" Jacob began to raise his voice as he headed towards her step by step after each sentence, "You lied to me! You lied to Henry! You pushed and pushed me into something I tried to escape from! You impulsively stepped back into my life, knowing fully well of the fucking consequences once committing those actions!" He turned, shaking his head as a chuckle escaped, "I may have followed through. I may have done actions on my own. But Christ... Evie... I was just inches away from moving on. I was inches away from wanting a future with Rose. I was... I was inches away from proposing..." He looked down with a deep sigh.

Evie gasped by the last statement, "So it wasn't just a confession..." A scoff left her lips, "It was a proposal...?" She covered her mouth.

"It wasn't going to be a proposal. It was just going to be a confession, but after hearing about her pregnancy... I have to take an even bigger step forward." Jacob glanced up with a small sigh, "With the amount of times shes been there for me. I have to... I _want_ to be there for her. And I want to be there for you as well. So don't think I'll leave you behind just because I'm choosing Rose. Alright, Evie?" He looked straight into her eyes, concern still filling the air.

"Alright..." Evie sighed deeply as she resigned, trying to hold in her tears, "Alright... darling brother..." She looked down, _I'll do this for you, brother._ She looked back up, _I'm sorry, brother_... She smiled faintly, cupping his cheeks, resting her forehead on his, _I'm sorry..._

"Thank you..." Jacob sighed with a faint smile, _I'm sorry, sister... I'm sorry..._

Silence filled the air and time passed that the twins lost complete track of the time. Jacob stood up straight and stepped back, stepping away from anything that could lead them back to square one. He cleared his throat, rubbing the back of his neck, looking over at Evie, gesturing her to give him space so he can get ready for the evening. As everything slightly settled down, Evie left the room, feeling lost, while Jacob tried to ready himself for what was to begin soon.

Minutes passed by instantly and Jacob walked out into a new attire. Evie noticed him, her face turning slight pink, "You look handsome this evening, brother." She spoke, admiring the sight of him in a tux, "You'll really... really capture her heart tonight." She smiled faintly, thinking to herself, _After all, you definitely have captured mine._

"Thanks..." A faint grin spread across his face, stuck with the dull twinge in his chest, "I really... I really hope I don't become a nervous wreck." He spoke jokingly, trying to lessen the discomfort, "Well... if you'll excuse me. I'll be back later. You know where to find me if you need me." He kissed her temple by impulse, his heart throbbing by the sudden action, "Sleep well, love." The young man kicked himself mentally for his heart and body acting out all on their own that he stride off the train.

Once he reached Rose's pub, he peeked through the window, seeing her serve her regular customers with a smile per usual. A huge smile crossed his face, thinking of how to enter. He wanted to make a big entrance, but he recalled last time he did he got lectured. So he planned on entering through the back.

When he crept through the back he bumped into a table that had papers, leading to scatter along the floor, "Shit!" He murmured, rushing to pick up the papers, "What's this...?" There was one piece that caught his eye, "Is that...?"

"Papers of agreement to feticide?" Rose finished the sentence, "It happens to be so..." A sigh escaped, followed by a chuckle, "What are you doing here, Jacob? Shouldn't you be with your sister?"

"O-One moment... are you telling me you're...?" Jacob could barely speak as he had trouble breathing.

"Yes... I'm... I'm pregnant and going to abort what lies inside me." She placed her hands on her stomach, looking down.

"B-But... but why?!" He walked up to her, worried.

"I'm not prepared to raise a child... let alone raise one by myself..." Rose looked up at him, trying to hold herself together.

"What in the world makes you think you'd raise this child alone?" Jacob questioned, feeling slightly offended.

"I saw..." She looked at him, expressionless.

"Saw what?" He asked, confused.

"I saw you leave a hotel the night after we..." She looked down, having difficulty of coming forward, "Then I saw your sister leave behind you." Is all she could finish as she tried to hide her tears.

"What are you talking about, Rose?" Jacob tried to look offended, but failed slightly by nervousness, "For heavens sake I would never-"

"Oh, don't think I'm stupid, Jacob! I can see the way you look at her like I did with my..." Rose fell silent, wanting to come forward, but the words could not leave her lips.

Jacob was conflicted on how to respond, but in the back of his mind, the words she was beginning to spit out sunk in his mind, leading him to wonder on what she was going to say, "Rose... what are you hiding?" He looked at her with a look of concern, "Were you... were you about to bring up... your sister?"

"How do you know about her?!" Rose shuddered by the sudden question.

Jacob dodged the question, "Why won't you answer my question?" He looked at her, confused on how to react.

Rose fell silent, looking down as she shivered. She didn't know what to do or say. The young woman was lost on what to say let alone where to begin. As several seconds passed, she sighed deeply, feeling as though she was being filled with lead. Every emotion she buried down for years began to rise.

"I... I was in your position before..." She looked up at him, wiping away the tears that continuously left her eyes, "M-My sister... my sister and I felt the same as you felt with your sister Evie..." Her lips began to tremble, making it difficult for her to speak clearly, "That's... that's how I was able to understand you as the years passed." Rose closed her eyes tightly, her whole body beginning to tremble, "I loved her... I loved her so much." She buried her face in her palms, tears streaming down her face, "And... And when I thought I could never love someone as much I did with her, you came into my life, and yet... I saw you give your sister the same look as I gave to my sister Rebecca." The young woman continuously wiped away her tears, clearing her throat, "You looked at her gently. You smiled at her softly. You cared for her as a lover than family. You... You exposed your love to her. Whether it be blind to you or Evie. It showed. Not to just anyone though. But it showed brightly to me." She chuckled faintly, biting the inside of her cheek.

The young man wanted to go into denial, but he thought what the use of lying would be, since she was truthful to him and went through the same issue, "Rose..." Jacob looked at her, wanting to hold her closely, but didn't even know where to place his hands to comfort her, "I'll... I'll admit... I did love my sister. But that feeling has come to rest. Our feelings ended. It faded. It's gone." He stepped closer to her, little by little, "There is only one beautiful woman I have fallen happily and madly in love with. I feel like such a fool for not seeing what was right before my eyes. I'm utterly sorry for how things must have felt for you as the years passed, but please... please let me finally show you... the only one I love... is you, Rosaline Moore."

Rose jolted and stepped back, hanging her head, "Jacob..." She scoffed, shaking her head, "I love you... I do... but... I don't want you to live a lie for the sake of me. I don't want you to end up in the same position I did. I don't want you... to end up with someone other than the one you love just to rid the pain that lies deep in your heart." Rose looked up with a pained smile, "And the reason I'm saying this is because I did just the same..." Rose looked into his eyes, trying to find a way to be open, "Years back... I..."

 _ **Eight Years Ago...**_

"Rebecca!" Rose called out, entering her house.

"In the kitchen!" Rebecca responded.

Rose sped up her pace and headed towards the kitchen. Her smile widened once seeing her sister. She ran up to her and embraced her tightly from behind.

"How was the talk with mother and father? What was it that they wanted to speak with you about?" Rose questioned.

Rebecca shuddered once she remembered the conversation, "It... I'll tell you later this evening. Alright, love?" She plastered a grin on her face, turning to hug her in turn, "How was school?" She kissed her cheek.

"School was good, but hectic, I will admit." She giggled, "How are your patients?"

"Sorry, sis, but confidential." She chuckled with a wink.

"Booooo." Rose pouted, her shoulders drop from disappointment, "Fine... I won't pry any further." She stuck her tongue out teasingly, admiring the sight of her sister cooking.

Rose and Rebecca cuddled when their day finally came to an end. The girls drifting in and out of sleep. As the evening passed, Rose recalled the sudden topic from earlier. The young woman opened her eyes slowly and looked up at her sister.

"Sis...?" Rose asked.

"Hm?" Rebecca responded, her eyes still shut.

"What was it you, mother, and father talked about?" She asked lowly.

Rebecca froze for a moment, stuck on what she should say. Discomfort filled the air, not knowing how to respond. Rose sat up, resting her weight on one arm as she awaited for a response with a blended look of curiosity and concern. Rebecca cleared her throat, avoiding Rose's gaze, opening her mouth slightly then closing it, having difficulty on what words to say. A deep sigh left her lips as she tried to find the right words to say.

"There... there's a man I'm having to meet by the end of this week." She mumbled, "It appears he and I..."

"What is it...?" Rose questioned hesitantly.

"It appears he and I are quite compatible. Mother and father told me about him and wanted us to meet... and if... if everything goes off without a hitch..." Her gaze began to slowly look over at Rose, her face becoming flushed, "We are to wed by this upcoming Spring..."

"WHAT?!" Rose shouted with shock, "This is ridiculous! Please tell me you refused!"

"Rose..." Rebecca looked over at her, trying to build up courage, "I know... I know how heartbreaking and how troublesome this has become for you and I, but... with the conversation I had with mother and father, they had plausible reasons to arrange this possible marriage." She spoke calmly, trying to rid the feel of regret, "I pray this marriage does not follow through, but... if it does, then we have no say in the matter. Our love will have to end. And we both knew that from the very start." Rebecca swallowed hard, putting effort into calming her pounding heart as she tried to comfort Rose.

Weeks rushed passed them and lead them both to a painful end. Rebecca was engaged and the sight of it killed Rose during every passing day. As the pain became more severe after seeing the affection between the two, she couldn't take much more of it. The week before her sister's wedding, she left. She couldn't bare the thought of attending her sister's wedding. So she fled. She left a letter, her work clothes, her name tag and left without a word, leaving everything and everyone behind her once she walked out the door and began a new life.

As years passed, she tried to avoid any contact with any of her family members. She pulled out the money she had saved for years to put into buying the pub she owns now just so her family would leave her alone by disowning her. Rose could feel the presence of her sister being nearby, possibly even watching her from afar, but she brushed off the feeling and continued her days with the regular customers and began to grow a strong bond with Sarah and slowly with Jacob as the years passed by, beginning to completely forget her past as her feeling of love fell into the hands of Jacob Frye.

 _ **Present Time...**_

"So that's how I understand you." She barely looked up at him, "And with the chance you have with her... I don't want you to lose this chance you have with her." Her eyes became watery, "I love you... I truly do... so I can't accept this or else you'll be living a lie." Rose buried her face in her hands, shielding the tears that kept pouring out.

Jacob stood there for several minutes, bewildered on what to say. The young man knew that this was his opportunity to take this risk with Evie. A part of him wanted to so badly, but another part of him felt he shouldn't. He closed his eyes tightly, looking down as his hands turned into tight fists. Jacob tried to relax all his muscles as he sighed deeply. He looked back at Rose and a faint smile crossed his face, his lips parting slightly as a chuckle escaped, leading him to come forward with his honest answer.

 _ **Writer's Note:**_ I'm seriously feeling so bad right now T~T

Well, anyway... Be prepared for the next one. Because everything is officially coming to a close. Until then readers...


	18. I'm Sorry

_**Writer's Note:**_ Sorry readers...

His hand reached out to her. He removed her hands slowly and gently so he could look at her. Her lips were trembling as the tears continued to stream down her face, blinding her. Without a single thought, his lips met hers tenderly. Rose jolted back, her eyes widening by shock. Before she could say anything, he placed his lips against hers again. She didn't go against his kiss, she just closed her eyes slowly, beginning to cherish this moment, but when the thought of Evie appeared in her mind, she pushed him away instantly. She covered her mouth, looking down as she shut her eyes tightly.

"I'm sorry!" She fled.

"Wait!" Jacob was about to run after her until he was tugged back. The young man turned his head, irritated that he was held back, but cocked his head to the side once seeing it was someone he didn't recognize, "Who are you...?"

"We meet again." The young woman chuckled, "Well, more like it's a pleasure seeing you conscience."

Jacob yanked his arm away, but it was grabbed immediately again, "Please let me go. I have to go after her!"

"You don't have to do anything." The young woman responded, "You can go after her later, but first I'd like to talk to you."

"But..." Jacob looked back in the direction Rose ran off to before looking back at the woman who was holding him back, "...You must be Rebecca...?" He muttered.

"Oh, so my sister has brought me up before." Rebecca scoffed.

" _My_ sister was the one that mentioned you." He looked up at her, "Rose never told me she has a sister."

Rebecca sighed deeply, feeling a bit hurt that shes never spoken to anyone about family, but she thought in a way, does she blame her? The young woman looked down remembering the good old days before she up and left. A small groan escaped before she looked back up at Jacob. She examined his features and automatically understood why she loved this man. It wasn't just his look, but his charm that appeared to always win others over.

"Let me... Let me help you out on this, alright?" She spoke before looking down, "This is all I feel I can do to make up for the years shes been hurting..." Rebecca mumbled to herself.

Without giving Jacob a chance to speak, she just dragged him all the way back to her office in silence. Once they entered her office, she finally released him and headed towards her desk. Rebecca placed her elbows on the desk, resting her head on the back of hands. The young woman looked up at Jacob indifferently, thinking of where to begin, but before she could even speak, Jacob spoke up first.

"So... why is she planning on aborting our child?" Jacob asked with distress, "Why didn't she talk to me about this first? She hadn't gone through the process yet, correct? Please tell me she's-"

"She had a miscarriage." Rebecca interrupted.

" _What_?" Jacob was stunned by the word miscarriage. His feelings stirred into something that felt like a stab in the chest, his next few words having difficulty leaving his lips as though he was suffocating from them, " _Miscarriage_? When...?"

"She... Rose came to me, a few days before you returned, asking if she could abort this child. We talked over this for awhile until I gave in and accepted her request." Rebecca looked down, hurt, "Rose... she doesn't know yet, but... with the signs I've seen this past week, she has not been feeling well. Or so what I have seen these past few days."

"Wait, how does she not know?" Jacob asked.

"She's been under a lot of stress that she just has not realized it yet. She's never been pregnant before either, so of course she wouldn't know the signs." Rebecca sat back in her seat, looking devastated, "So I'd like to ask, Mr. Frye... will you agree with her abortion and comfort her throughout the process and after it as well?" She looked up at him with a look of plead and worrisome.

Jacob stood there, wondering how to respond. He wants to help her of course, he just had difficulty on how to support her since he's never been in such a position before. The young man was hurt, but with the thought of how Rose must feel, he looked down as he closed his eyes tightly before looking back at Rebecca with determination and understanding.

"I will." He nodded, "I'll stay beside her throughout this whole thing and especially after it. I promise." A soft smile slid across his face.

"Now I see why she loves you." Rebecca chuckled, "You remind her of me in a way. The only difference is you're given the chance to stand beside her and decide to stay beside her. Please treat her with respect and the love I was not able to give. Please do this, not just for her, but for me as well. She really deserves it."

Jacob's smile became weak as he nodded once more.

"Thank you..." Rebecca smiled weakly, her lips trembling as she closed her eyes, a tear sliding down, "Thank you, Mr. Frye... Thank you." She looked back up at him, a genuine grin crossing her face.

Jacob walked home, his mind filled with so many thoughts and his emotions making him feel overwhelmed. A part of him felt he should be relieved in a way, but all it did was kill him deeply inside to where he ended up feeling empty and helpless. He was wanting to be a father, but always feared the thought because he didn't want to become like his father. Of course they fought countless times and always had difficulty communicating, but he knew deep down his father loved him. So in a way, the thought of the love their father has hidden, made him want to be a father. Not technically like his own father, but a father who would show his child is not alone and support their child with anything and everything.

Deep sighs continued escaping until he reached the train. When he boarded the train he passed by Evie, not even acknowledging her presence as he went straight to his room.

"Jacob?" Evie called out weakly, following behind, "Jacob, what happened? Did things not follow through? Why are you...?"

"She... she pushed me away." He fell back onto his bed, not being able to look at her, "Rose... she wanted me to go back to you. She doesn't want me to lose this chance. And to top this off... she lost the baby." Jacob buried his face into the palm of his hands, his whole body beginning to tremble, "I... I don't know how I can help her, Evie! I promised her sister I'll stay beside her, but I don't know how I can support her! I don't know how I can comfort her! I don't know how..." He looked up at her, his eyes filled with tears, "I just don't know how to help her!" He shut his eyes tightly, biting his bottom lip, trying to distract his pain elsewhere.

Evie's chest tightened after seeing her brother falter. After hearing Rose was giving them a chance to be together, it felt like a blessing, but a tainted one. She wanted to convince him to accept her offer, but she finally understood nothing good would come out of it. A deep sigh escaped as she tried to convince herself to help him. All it took was the tears that escaped Jacob's eyes that convinced her to help him.

She walked up to him slowly, thinking of what to say, "Jacob..." Evie knelt down, placing one hand on his cheek as she looked up at him, "I know it's difficult to be in this situation seeing as to how you've never faced what I've faced, so let me help you understand..." She tilted her head slightly, a small smile crossing her face, _I'm doing this for you, brother..._

Jacob placed his hand on hers, a weak smile appearing with a small nod, "Thank you..." Without a thought given, he kissed the palm of her hand.

Evie tensed up for a moment, remembering the warmth she always felt from his touch. Her eyes gazed at his lips, remembering the softness she felt whenever she kissed him. She glanced at the gentle look in his eyes when they were affectionate as lovers and not siblings. The young woman closed her eyes tightly, trying to resist from kissing him and holding in the tears she felt were near. She slid her hand out of his hold and stood up.

"Let's go win her back, brother." She smiled gently, holding out her hand to help him up.

Jacob looked up at Evie, a faint smile crossing his face, disguising his sorrow. The young man thought the same thing. Just from the touch of Evie's hand, his heart was close to igniting the love he had for her. All it took for them was a single touch for the small spark that started it all to slowly rise again, but their mind stomped out the emotion to the point where it buried back deep inside them.

Evie and Jacob walked to the bar, hoping to see if Rose was there, but there was no sight of her. They asked Sarah where she was, but she wouldn't respond. Sarah promised she would stay quiet for the sake of Rose. Sarah wanted to inform them, but she couldn't. The twins were frustrated, but with the look of concern Jacob had on his face, Evie kept his spirits up to search everywhere to find her. It cut her deeply, but with the simple, gentle smile Jacob often showed, that was one thing that would help heal the wound slowly.

"Jacob!" Evie called out to him, signaling she found her.

Rose was surprisingly on Big Ben looking out at the city lights in awe. Her eyes looked puffy, showing she must have cried for quite some time. The look of her sadness in her eyes hurt Jacob harshly that he was about to rush over to her instantly until Evie grabbed hold of him. He froze by her touch, wanting to yank away by habit, but sighed faintly as he looked at her, waiting patiently for the support she offered him.

"Are you positive about this, brother?" Evie released him, her whole body falling weak on the inside, feeling devastated of even asking, since she practically knows the answer, "You're certain you want to take this big step with her?"

Jacob looked down for a moment, a faint chuckle escaping as he nodded, "I'm one hundred percent certain, Evie." He looked up at her with a genuine grin, "She has supported me all throughout the time you were away. She has protected me all this time. She has saved me more times than I can count. She has... She has sacrificed so much for an idiotic man like myself." He laughed weakly, "So I am, Evie..." Jacob grinned, "I love that woman over there and I don't want to lose this chance I have with her." He looked over at Rose, a gentle, loving grin crossed his face as a look of affection appeared once he saw her, "I want to make her mine. I hope and pray to God and the Creed that she accepts a man like me. And if she does... then I will do my damnedest to make her happy. I don't want her to suffer anymore than she already has. I love her, Evie... God, I love her." He shut his eyes slowly, a weak laugh leaving his lips, "So please, Evie... help me."

Evie looked at Jacob, trying to keep herself together so she can help him, "Alright, brother... alright..." She smiled softly, hiding the pain, gesturing him to come closer to her so she can say what will help him.

Jacob inhaled deeply and exhaled slowly, trying to calm down his racing heart before jumping to Big Ben. He was nervous. More nervous than ever. He felt he wasn't prepared for what was to come, but by the touch of Evie's hand resting on his shoulder, he calmed down instantly. He looked over at her one last time with a smile of relief before jumping over to Rose.

"Good luck, brother... Good luck." Evie spoke lowly, giving a crooked grin as she saw her brother jump over to the woman he grew to love.

"Finally found you." He said as he landed.

Rose jolted with a small yelp, "Jacob..." She breathed out, "What are you doing here?" She stepped back, filled with mixed emotions, "Shouldn't you be with-"

"Rose... I truly appreciate your support on the love I used to have with Evie, but my love for her has ended." He slowly approached her, "I know it sounds ridiculous and hard to believe, but I beg of you to listen."

Rose stood still, silent as she awaited for Jacob to continue.

"I know... I know I've been all over the place with my emotions and I'm truly sorry about that. As the years passed I was most certain my cold heart thawed thanks to you. Though with my sisters abrupt appearance, it utterly went cold again. I had difficulty of letting go of the anger, the hatred, the fear I had back then. But..." Jacob looked down, trying to keep himself away from trembling, "But each time, all of those emotions disappeared every time you were near. You are the one that keeps me level headed. _You_ are the one that has kept me alive countless times. _You_ are the one that has showed me what love is like. _You_ are the one that thawed out this cold heart of mine that I thought would never become warm again. _You_ are the one, Rose. _You_ are my reason for living. _You_ are my reason for loving. _You_ are my reason for everything." He chuckled faintly, trying to calm his racing heart, "So... will you please accept me? I will support the choice you have of this baby-"

"You don't need to lie, Jacob. I know... I overheard that I've lost the child." She looked down, placing her hands on her stomach.

"I'm sorry..." Jacob looked down, hiding his look of pain.

Rose lifted up his head with a faint grin, "It's not your fault, Jacob. Miscarriages just... they just happen." She chuckled lightly to lessen the pain they both were feeling, "And... I'm honored to hear all of this from you, but really, you don't have-"

Jacob silenced her with a gentle kiss, "I know I don't have to, Rose." He looked into her eyes, softly, "I want to." He rested his forehead on hers, closing his eyes, hoping she would feel his warmth so she could feel how much he loves her and how much she has changed him, "So please, Rose. Please give this buffoon a chance." He laughed.

Rose laughed lightly, "You are no buffoon, Jacob. You are a man I have loved at first sight." She cupped his cheeks, "If you accept me, then I will most definitely accept you." The young woman giggled, wrapping her hands around the back of his neck.

A huge grin ran across his face, "Then do you trust me?" Jacob removed Rose's hands and held them firmly, but gently while staring steadily at her.

"Pardon?" Rose was surprised by the sudden question.

"Do you trust me?" He repeated himself.

"Of course." She giggled, looking at him with an expression of obviously.

"Then jump with me." He led her to the ledge of the tower.

"I beg your pardon?" She tensed up, her eyes widening.

"If you have faith and trust in me then I'd love for you to take this big leap with me." Jacob looked at her with a look of plead.

She was hesitant for a moment, but she was willing to risk this big move. She stepped on the ledge with Jacob, kept hold of his hand and looked at him with slight concern. She nodded her head with a worried grin, took a deep breath and jumped off with Jacob. As she was falling, her mind began to fill with memories she had with Jacob and was hoping to fill her life with many more. As she reached the haystack, shocked she was still breathing, she jumped out with a huge grin on her face, jumping with joy. She turned to Jacob and froze on the spot once seeing the position Jacob was in.

"Jacob...?" Rose mumbled, her heart racing furiously.

"Will you give me the honor of becoming Mrs. Jacob Frye?" He was on one knee, a ring glistening inside the small box he held in his hands and a genuine grin crossing his face.

"Are you... are you being serious right now?!" Rose's eyes welled up as she cover her mouth, internally screaming.

"I know... I know things ended in a bit of a hectic way... but it doesn't mean we can't start over. We may have lost one chance, but it doesn't mean we cannot try again. And the loss does not make me love you any less." He smiled warmly, "And with that huge trust fall you were willing to do with me. With that leap of faith. It most definitely gave me faith to love again." He chuckled lightly, "You nurtured something I thought would never heal. You thawed my cold heart and made it whole again." He grabbed her left hand and kissed the back of it, "So will you give me the honor of becoming Mrs. Jacob Frye?"

She crashed her lips into his, wrapping her arms around his neck, almost leading Jacob to falling backwards. As he steadied himself, a chuckle escaped that was soon buried beneath Rose's lips, "Yes!" Rose buried her head in the crook of his neck, not wanting to let go, "I will!"

The two kissed each other passionately as the night continued to pass.

 _ **Weeks Later...**_

"Are you certain about this, brother?" Evie asked, slowly walking in from behind.

"Hm? Oh! Evie..." Jacob chuckled as he turned, "I am most definitely certain, Evie." He smiled, "I'm glad to see you here, sweet sister of mine."

During the hug, his nose breathed in the scent of citrus from his sister's hair. He breathed it in as though it were a drug he never wanted to stop inhaling. The young man held her close, loving the embrace. Her small figure that felt as strong as iron. Her dark shaded, soft hair. Her soft and warm skin touching his. How he missed all of it so. It took him several seconds to get himself out of his usual trance, leading him back to reality, his conclusion finally becoming fully clear to him.

"Evie... I'd like to become completely clear with you on this." Jacob looked at her with a calming look, "The time I was away made me finally understand why you chose Henry and why you decided to leave with him." His eyes never stopped looking into hers, "After hearing you being engaged to Henry, my mind went straight into denial by the fear of you moving to India, leaving me behind." Jacob said lowly, "And my assumption was right." He chuckled, feeling like a fool, "I had a gut feeling you would leave me behind and the thought of abandonment impacted me harder than I ever expected."

Jacob stared into Evie's eyes, holding in the water works by the cause of remembering the past. It struck him harder than he ever knew. He never knew this memory would hit every emotion inside him. But once it did, it ended up clearing everything. The foggy thoughts. The countless switches of emotions. And most of all, the pain he's struggled to fight. All of those things have finally become clear to him to where he finally accepted the truth.

"I kept running away from the past, not accepting the truth of you leaving me behind and I just couldn't bear the thought." He sighed faintly, "But when I was close to losing Rose... that made me realize my love for you was set at rest once you walked ahead with Henry." He smiled weakly, "We walked on different paths. We made our choices. We lived different lives."

Jacob stopped and breathed to calm his nerves for a moment, trying to think of his next words carefully. The thought of it kept striking at him, but he never gave in. The thought of a bright future ahead of him is what he looked forward to. He promised himself to accept what happened in the past so he could take his steps forward and no longer backwards.

"So, Evie..." He stared steadily at her, "I'm moving forward like you did." He gave a crooked smile, "The love I've had for you will have a special place in my heart..."

He placed his hand on his chest, closed his eyes slowly with a gentle smile, then opened them, looking at her softly. Evie knew this would be the last time she gets to see this gentle expression he's only showed to her. It pained her deeply, knowing this expression is only going to be exposed to Rose once they walk down the aisle together. She fell out of the deep thought she had when he continued to speak.

"After all, you were my first love." He chuckled lightly, placing his hands on her shoulders lightly, kissing her forehead.

"Jacob..." Evie murmured, "I..."

"Please accept my soon-to-be marriage with Rose, as I grew to accept your marriage with Henry." He examined her features, "I may not have accepted your marriage at first and I'm deeply sorry for that, but I grew. I grew to accept everything you've chosen. It is your life after all. And I have no say on what you should do with it." He stroked her hair softly, "Please accept mine. Please accept what I've done and what I've chosen to do. So please, Evie, accept my marriage with Rose."

Evie looked at him, examining his expression, having difficulty of releasing her next few words. It took her several seconds for her to open her lips. Then just a second later to speak.

"I have no right to accept or deny your life choices." She began, trying to keep her lips from trembling, "You didn't stop me from my choices. So I won't stop you from yours." She smiled weakly, "I love you, Jacob." She kissed his cheek softly, "Please live your life happily, as I did mine..."

"Thank you, Evie..." His weak smile turned into a genuine one, "Thank you for everything you've done as we grew together. Thank you, my dearly loving sister, Evelyn Frye."

Evie usually hates being called by her birth name, but when Jacob said it with his soft tone, it was as though it was music to her ears. The calming tone reminded her of why she fell in love with him and reminded her of when she let go. Today was the day they have realized they didn't just regrow their bond. They strengthened it.

"Shall we go?" Evie chuckled lightly, "Your bride-to-be is waiting for you."

Jacob nodded and kissed Evie gently on her forehead once more before taking a step forward. He took a deep breath and opened the door heading to the end of the aisle to wait for Rose. The young man was nervous, but with the memories of his past rushing through his mind, it made him realize it all led him to where he is today. It made him realize his future was turning bright. It made him realize love may be mixed, but in the end will always turn pure. Once recalling Rose's words, Everything will end with blessings. You just have to wait patiently for your happy ending. He knew his happy ending was finally given to him. And he knew he's had his happy ending all this time. But was just too afraid to accept, until now.

As Jacob stood there, his eyes looked over at Evie that was standing across from him as a bride maid and not the bride. His heart may have healed by the feel of love he has towards Rose, but there was still a small part of him hurting as he looked at Evie. The twins looked into each others eyes one last time, hiding their pain before the bride began to walk down the aisle. They both turned to watch as they both sighed deeply with slight sadness, trying to rid the pain with apology. A broad smile slid across their face as their eyes landed on Rose.

 _I'm sorry..._ The twins said in the depths of their heart as they officially put their love to rest, _I'm sorry..._

 _ **FIN**_

 _ **Writer's Note:**_ Sorry this was short. I always have difficulty with endings. Anyway, until then readers...


	19. Writer's Note

Writers Note: Now before you all begin to hate me for this ending, I'd just like to say, that's the realistic ending. An idealistic ending where the twins end up together will be the next chapter. So please wait. Until then readers...


	20. Goodbye

_**Writer's Note**_ : And here lies the end of the Frye twins. Happy trails to them both. :)

 _I don't want to use Rose to end everything with Evie, but... for the safety of Evie and I and for the sake of Rose who is bearing my child... I must..._ Jacob chuckled faintly, feeling like a complete disgrace as he shook his head before looking back up at Rose, _She deserves a better man than I... they both do..._ He hid his sigh with another chuckle, slowly reaching out to Rose.

Rose flinched once feeling the warmth from Jacob's hand that landed gently on her cheek. She didn't want to look up at him, but with the gentle touch of his fingers lifting her head up by the chin, she couldn't help herself. Her eyes were still completely filled with tears to the point of where she could barely see the look of pain he hid behind his gentle eyes.

"I'm truly flattered of you thinking of my happiness before your own, but as I've told you before, we put everything to rest." He caressed her cheek gently, "You are my happiness. I would love nothing more than to raise this child with you. I would truly be honored to marry you, to have this child with you, and to live my life happily with you, Rosaline Moore." He placed her hand on his chest, having her feel his heartbeat.

Rose was very hesitant and had high doubts of his so-called _honesty_. This would be the most happiest moment of her life, she knew. But she also knew she would still be living a lie even with the kind words Jacob placed as if it were just a showcase. Rose closed her eyes tightly, looking down, barely having the strength to reach out towards him to embrace him. The young woman raised her free hand as though she was signaling she was going to hug him, but instead...

She pushed him away, "Go... please... I beg of you... just go!" Rose turned swiftly right after pushing him away.

Jacob wanted to follow her, but his body wouldn't let him. His lack of willpower to go after her made his chest tighten while his mind became foggy. He didn't know what to do. He wanted to make everything easy and normal for everyone around him, and yet his mind and body still battled, figuring out which side to choose. With Rose, he'd be living a normal life. While as with Evie... he'd be living a life full of secrecy. He didn't want to choose, but he knew he had to. They were both bearing his child, but he can only support one as a father while the other from afar. And sadly enough... he knew who it was he had to choose, but his emotions and morals punctured his heart by the feel of guilt.

The young man walked home, feeling completely dejected. _I want to help her, but_ _ **how**_ _?_ Jacob continuously questioned himself on what to do to help, but he never expected nor planned to be a father any time soon. The young man tried to think of how to help Rose and his child she's bearing, but his mind couldn't think straight. Before he knew it, the train whooshed pass him to where he jumped back, but ran after it instantly.

Once he jumped on, he knelt down into a fetal position, burying his face in his arms, trying to control his emotions, but they just continued to go out of whack. He thought he had everything set. He thought he had everything under control. He thought everything was going to go smoothly once he returned. And yet, it appears his issues just went further down the rabbit hole he thought he hopped out of.

"What happened? What's wrong?" Evie questioned, walking up to him with concern.

Jacob couldn't look up at her, he was already at his limit of agony to where he could take no more, "She... she pushed me away. I want to help her since she's bearing my child, but... I just... I don't know what to do now!" He screamed in his sleeve, trying to take control of himself, "What... What can I do, Evie?" He muffled, burying his head further in his sleeve.

Evie stiffened by the thought her mind brought up, "What if..." She swallowed hard, trying not to speak what she yearns for, but nothing could hold back the words that ended up pushing their way out of her throat, "What if we leave together then?" The words left, but lowly as she automatically looked down.

" _Excuse me_?" Jacob looked up with slight discontent, "I can't just leave the woman who's bearing my goddamn child, Evie!" He stood up quickly, "I don't want to be the type of man who just up and leaves! I don't want to make this child question who their father is nor do I want to leave her and make her raise this child alone! I can't... I don't want her to carry this alone. And I most certainly do not want you nor I to live a life of secrecy." He looked at her sternly, "And I know you don't either." He growled.

Evie kept her head down, not wanting to cause anymore trouble, but her mouth would not stay shut, "I would do anything just to raise this child with you..." She continued to speak low.

"You want our child to be a bastard child?" Jacob asked right after, "Just think of the end results if we go down that path, Evie. Who knows how others would think if they realize we're twins. Who knows how our child will look if you choose to keep it. Who knows how our life will turn out! What is going on right at this moment is disgraceful and frowned upon, Evie! I don't want either of us to suffer through any of this! Let alone have this child we created live a stressful life!"

"She's giving you a chance to be with me though!" Evie shouted as she looked up with a look of sorrow in her eyes.

"I know that, Evie! I truly appreciate her offer, but what's done, is done! I can support you as the brother I am, but... but I can't as a man." Jacob looked down, his chest tightening by each word, "We've already made our decisions, Evie..."

"She's not the only one who's bearing your child though!" Evie shouted, swallowing her tongue after noticing her unthoughtful response, "So let's be honest here. You're making a mistake!" Her mouth forcefully continued.

"Evie, I know I've made my mistakes! For god's sake, that's why I'm trying to fix them!" Jacob said, infuriated, "As I've stated several times... I can support you, but I... I can't stand beside you as a man, but I can as a brother and help you raise this child as an uncle, but not... not as a father." He felt devastated by his words, looking down, shutting his eyes tightly before looking back up at her, "I'm sorry, Evie..."

"So you're going to raise the child she's bearing as a father and assist raising the child I'm bearing as an uncle?" Evie scoffed, trying to control her overwhelming emotions, "I might as well not keep this child then if it can't be raised by it's own father!" She gasped at her words.

Jacob felt struck by her sudden words, knowing her words were right, which led him to sigh a little, shaking his head slowly, having difficulty looking up, "That would be for the best then, Evie..." He felt as though his heart was ripped out right after he let those words slip out of his mouth, "That would be for the best..." Jacob breathed out a pained chuckle, briskly walking passed her, not looking back as he struggled to hold in the tears as he had difficulty breathing by the cause of his use of words.

Evie stood still, faltered by his words. She felt as though she died by the cause of his words. She never expected her brother to turn so bitter, let alone ever speak as painful as that. The young woman wanted to try to understand his position, but with the wounds caused by his words, she could barely think straight. Evie was devastated to where she felt all emotions drained out of her.

"Bloody fucking hell!" Jacob smacked himself constantly, feeling like he should just die already from what he's said and done, "Why the bloody hell did my heart become so cold?! What the bloody hell happened to me?! Why the blood hell am I acting like this?!" He thrashed his room out of frustration before screaming in the pillow he grabbed from his bed, "God... just kill me already..." Jacob removed the pillow, trying to catch his breath, _I need to apologize... I need to find a way to help both of them... I need to figure something out to put everything at ease, but what?_ He sat on his bed to think things over.

Evie walked into Jacob's room slowly, trying to stay calm and think carefully to fix what just happened in the other room.

"I suggest you not be here now, Evie..." Jacob buried his face in his hands, "I don't want to hurt you any further than I already have... I don't want to speak such regretful words... I..." He fell silent, too pained to speak any further.

Evie stood by the door, staying silent for a bit before taking a deep breath to try and speak calmly, "I'm... I'm one at fault, too, brother..." The older twin looked over at the younger one, "I... I'm sorry for stepping into your life and causing more chaos into your life that was close to being fully healed. I'm sorry for making your choices harder. I'm sorry for getting in the way between you and Rose. I'm sorry I spoke badly towards the decisions you've made that are morally right. And I'm sorry for speaking wrongly of this child I bear. I'm sorry, brother..." Evie lowly spoke, "I should not have placed you in such a difficult position. I should not have... I truly should not have come back."

Jacob wanted to not speak because he did not want to go deeper in the grave he began to bury several weeks ago, but he felt he had to say something, "Evie... I'm truly sorry. I am. If anything, I'm glad you're home and beside me. Breathing for that matter. I'm sorry for my wordings and my actions. I'm sorry for falling through a lot of things. I'm sorry my feelings have been said too late. I... I should have spoken up sooner whether or not the end results would lead me to the madhouse." He chuckled faintly, "I'm sorry for everything that has led to this. I should've been a stronger man and yet... heh... and yet I have fallen weak and become a coward to step forward to what's been handed to me all this time. I'm sorry..." He breathed out a weak laugh, feeling pathetic.

"Jacob... none of this is your fault. If I didn't just up and leave you without fixing this issue. If I didn't enter your life abruptly. If... if I didn't read your journal. None of this would have happened." Evie slowly approached him to sit beside him, "So let me help you and... and let me give you the option."

"Help me with what? And what option is it you speak of?" Jacob glanced over, having difficulty to breathe evenly.

"Let me... let me help you with getting Rose to accept you." She smiled weakly, "And... and let me ask you if... if you'd like me to... to rid this... child I bear within me." She looked down, placing her hands on her stomach.

"Evie... N-No! You're the one bearing the child so it shall be up to you! It's your body and I should have no say on-?!"

Evie placed her lips gently on his to silence him, "I know, brother... I know... but this is also your child, so you should have a say in it as well." She placed one of his hands on her stomach, placing her hand over his, looking down at his hand before leading her eyes back up to his, "What say you, brother?" Her words left faintly, feeling as though she was choking from the words.

"Evie... it is truly up to you. I am fine with the choice you make, sister." He placed his free hand on her cheek gently, "If you want to bear it, then bear it. I will support you any way I can." He massaged her cheek with his thumb, trying to bear the pain that continued to increase.

Evie laughed weakly, closing her eyes as she cherished his touch, "If you support me... just even as a brother... I will bear this child. I will cherish this child. I will love this child. Because this child will be a memory of a moment of pure love we once had." Her eyes opened slowly, trying to keep herself placid as she looked at the man she knew she had to say goodbye to.

"Alright, Darling sister... alright." He smiled with the look of repentance.

"I... I know this may be an arduous and long shot of a request, but... but as one final moment... before we put our flame out... will you..." She looked up at him, some tears sliding down her cheeks as her trembling lips turned into a faint grin, "Will you make love to me one last time before our love is officially put to rest?"

Jacob felt as though his heart stopped. His mind wanted him to reject such a request, but his heart wanted to cherish this last given moment. He struggled with the choices his mind and heart fought over, but the one that happened to have won was his yearning heart leading him into a loving kiss.

"Thank you, brother..." She whispered softly in the kiss which led Jacob to turning it into a more passionate one, "Thank you..."

 _ **The Next Day...**_

Jacob awoke by the sounds of birds chirping and the light from the sun glistening through the window shining down on him. He groaned faintly, covering his eyes with the crook of his arm. As he turned, preparing to bury his face in his pillow, his arm landed gently on the person lying beside him. He jolted a little by the surprise, but a chuckle followed after. Without even a thought given, his lips gently met hers, feeling nothing, but warmth inside and out. He didn't want this moment to end, but he knew this was his very last time with her as man and woman and not as brother and sister.

A deep sigh escaped his lips as he closed his eyes, trying to lessen his pain. He fixed his eyes on her, examining everything he's going to miss. Her fair skin. Her freckles that sometimes are covered with blush when embarrassment crosses her. Her jet colored flowy hair that always smells like flowers. Her petite figure that hides her actual strength. Her intelligence she exposes in almost every sentence. Her soothing voice he hears whenever she calls out to him. And the thing he'll miss most is when she looks at him with a gentle gaze as she says those simple words- I love you, Jacob. Oh how he'll miss it so.

"I love you, Dame Evelyn Frye... forever... and always..." He smiled weakly as he whispered those words, kissing her softly on the lips one last time before slowly getting out of bed to get dress.

As he left the room after getting dressed, Evie whispered, "I love you, too, Sir Jacob Frye... always... in the depths of my heart..." She wept lightly, continuously wiping away the tears before getting up to get dressed.

As Evie left the room, she jolted by the sudden surprised guest that were two cars down.

"Good morning, Evie." Henry spoke, "Would you mind having a word with me for a moment?"

Evie's heart raced furiously once seeing Jacob and Henry in the same room. She looked over at Jacob, noticing a look of both anger and melancholy. She didn't know what to say. She was hoping he didn't know of what happened last night. Evie was frozen stiff until Jacob stood up and passed by her, placing his hand gently on her shoulder.

"Accept his offer if you'd like, Evie... I will not mind the choice you make." He whispered, "After all, I did say I will support you any way I can." Jacob chuckled faintly, his hand slipping off her shoulder as he continued to pass, I hope she accepts since I can't help raise the child as a father... this will hurt... but I will continue to bear this pain... as I hope she doesn't have to bear hers no longer than she already has.

"Henry... what... what are you doing here?" Evie questioned, baffled by his sudden presence.

"Your brother brought me here." Henry stood up, rubbing the back of his neck, "I was a bit confused of his sudden arrival, but he wanted me to hear him out. So I did." He looked at her steadily, trying to think of what to say, "He asked me for my help. I was a bit hesitant on the request, but by his persuasion, it made me remember why I loved you in the first place." Henry looked down, a small laugh escaping, "And even though you're bearing some other man's child. I will take part in raising this child as if it's my own. So please, Evie... give me this opportunity to start over and make things better for you and I. And especially for this child." He looked at her with pleading eyes.

Evie looked into Henry's eyes, pain striking at her heart as she was stuck on what to do. The young woman looked down, trying to lessen the throbbing pain her heart continuously gave her. Once she caught her breath, she looked up at him.

"I..."

 _ **Meanwhile...**_

"Well... time to do my usual routine before heading to Rose's pub." Jacob laughed lightly, _I hope everything ends well with Evie._ He looked down with a small sigh along with a faint grin, _Please give Evie a better life as I try to give Rose a better life. Please..._ He closed his eyes tightly, before opening them with determination as he began to run to the closest building to start his day.

It appeared everything was clear and his gang took care of most of the problems that occurred. He was relieved how the city became a safe haven to several citizens he passed and knew. Jacob sat on a building, catching his breath while in deep thought. The younger twin tried to think of how to convince Rose to accept him and once his mind figured on where to start, he was about to get ready to do a leap of faith, until he was pulled back.

"Bloody hell..." Jacob caught his breath by the sudden choke from the collar of his shirt, massaging his throat, "What- oh... Evie." He gave a crooked grin, "Where's Greenie? Did everything get better? Are you two-"

"I didn't... I _couldn't_ accept something that will be a lie my whole life. I can't live that whole lie all over again. So, I... I declined his offer. I won't... I can't live a lie for the life of me." She looked down, her hands clenching tightly, "And I must admit... it pained me to see that man again, but it did make me think deeply of what I honestly want. And you know exactly what it is. Because I know it's want you want as well." She laughed weakly, "I know it's ridiculous of me to even request this even though we've gone through this several times, but my last offer... my last request... is if you will meet me at the train at nightfall."

"What? What kind of request is-"

"If... If you meet me there, I will explain everything. And... if you don't... then I'll understand." Evie smiled faintly, placing her hand on his cheek gently, massaging it with her thumb before running passed him.

Jacob was dumbfounded by the request which left him with countless questions. He shook his head to clear his mind so he could focus on his attempt to win Rose. The young man ran to Rose's pub, trying to think on where to start. He looked at his attire and felt he needed to change into something more polished, so his thought led straight to the attire Rose gave him on his birthday. As he was beginning to leave, his eyes landed on the black box that he was planning to give her weeks ago. A faint grin crossed his face as he grabbed it and placed it in his pocket.

Once he arrived at Rose's place, he didn't see her around the bar. It left him questioning which led him straight to the back. As he entered, he saw Rose sitting, staring blankly at the wall in front of her. It worried Jacob that he rushed to her.

"Rose, what-"

"Good evening, Jacob." She laughed lightly, not looking at him as her tone was weak, "I assume you returned to try and convince me to accept your offer of raising this child?"

"I want to raise this child with you, Rose." Jacob spoke softly, "I love you and I want to live the rest of me life with-"

"Evie." Rose looked over with a look of slight annoyance, "You want to and you should live your life with Evie! Don't lie to me nor even yourself! I've been in your position before and to be honest... I'm still in that position..." She breathed out a laugh as she shook her head.

"What are you stating, Rose...?" Jacob questioned, confused.

"You love Evie like I... like I love Rebecca." Rose looked down, clenching her hands tightly on her knees, "I must admit... I thought my love for my sister has ended, but... but after speaking to her again... everything has led me straight back to square one." She bit her bottom lip, her face becoming slight pink, "I'm sorry, Jacob... we've both been living a lie... and you cannot deny that." Rose laughed faintly, looking back up at Jacob, "Don't lie to me... and don't lie to yourself. Alright?" She gave a look of remorse, "Please... for my sake... and for Evie's sake. Just go with her." The young woman stood up, walking towards Jacob.

"I don't want you to raise this child alone. I-"

"I'm not going to..." Rose interrupted, looking down, covering her eyes.

"What do you mean?" Jacob asked, becoming worried.

"My sister informed me that I've lost the child." She bit the inside of her cheek, her heart aching, "That's one reason why I want you to be with Evie."

"But I want to-"

"Stop this nonsense already, Jacob." She laughed lightly, "If anything... I won't be alone." She smiled up at him, "My sister and I had a long conversation to where... to where our love ignited again. So if anything, I want you to live your life happily as I'll live mine." Her smile became a genuine one, " So, Jacob... go... please. Don't miss this opportunity you have." Rose spoke lowly.

"But-"

"You needn't worry, Jacob. I'm bearing no more... As I've told you before, I've lost the child. So please... I beg of you." She kissed his cheek gently, "And with my sister's support, her and I will live a happy life as you shall live yours just as happily with your sister." She spoke softly with a small grin, "So go... now." Rose placed her hands gently on his chest, pushing him away lightly.

"Thank you..." He spoke softly, kissing her cheek in turn, "I'll never forget you nor will I ever forget this."

"Goodbye, Jacob." She smiled tenderly at him one last time, "Goodbye..."

He smiled at her kindly in turn, "Goodbye..." Jacob whispered into her ear as he handed her a small box, passing by her.

Her face turned crimson by his last few words as he handed her a small box _, Never think I've never loved you. Because in the depths of my heart I did._ _ **Never**_ _think otherwise. And as a token of my gratitude... Thank you..._ Rose simpered gingerly, closing her eyes with a nod and a small chuckle. A tear slid down her cheek that she wiped away quickly. She wanted to look behind to see Jacob off, but she felt it would be too hurtful to watch the man she loves leave. She sighed quietly as she looked down at the box. Rose slowly opened it and saw two necklaces. One being Jacob's and the other being a small Creed symbol with the word _Promise_ run across from it. It pained her, but it was a pain she loved to bear as she loved the thought of bearing his child.

"I'm sorry, Jacob..." Rose laughed sparsely, placing her hand on her stomach, "I'm sorry I lied..." She looked down at her stomach, a small smile appearing as her heart warmed up by the thought of raising his child.

He ran and ran his way to the train Evie wanted to meet him at, "Evie!" He called out.

Evie turned instantly, seeing Jacob dash towards her, "Jacob..." She sighed with a grin, "You came..."

"I spoke to Rose. And it appears she... she lost the child... and still loves her sister." He chuckled mildly, rubbing the back of his neck, "And with this opportunity given to me, I've come to finally accept what I have longed for and I do not want to lose this chance again that I have with the woman I still love ever so deeply." He grabbed her hands tenderly, placing them against his lips.

"Jacob..." Evie laughed lightly, cherishing the gentle kiss, "I'm so genuinely happy that I am given this chance as well to finally be able to call you mine without any obstacles in our way." She wrapped her arms around him tightly, "Now that you're here... I wanted to confess to a few things..." The older twin buried her face in the crook of the younger one's neck with a whisper.

"What is it, love?" Jacob whispered.

"I... I as well have lost the child... I was... I was going to leave London if you denied my confession and raise the child I once had, on my own. And... and I was planning on cutting all ties to start a new life if I ended up leaving alone." She tightened her grip, holding in her overwhelming emotions, "But... but seeing as to how you're here and able to... able to live a life with me... I'd like to ask..." Evie swallowed hard, trying to ease her racing heart, "Will you leave with me?"

"Leave with you? What are you stating, Evie?" Jacob peeked over at her.

"Will you leave everything behind with me? Will you begin a new life with me? Will you stay by my side as we continue to grow?" Evie looked up at him, "You are the only man I would drop everything for. You are the only man I would ever love. You are... You are the one and only man I would do anything for."

"Evie..." He snickered gingerly, resting his head on her shoulder.

"No one is stopping us no longer. No one is holding us back. You have gangs here who can take care of _anything_ in this city. You have done a great deal that this city is able to do alone. We can continue our lives elsewhere. We can start a whole new life." She looked at him with a soft grin, "So will you, Jacob Frye... leave everything behind and start anew with me?" Evie cupped his cheeks, gazing gently into his eyes.

"Leave London in the hands of my gang to begin a new whole life with the love of my life?" A light chuckle left his lips as he looked down, shaking his head, "Evie Frye... you just might be right." He looked around their surrounding with a grin, seeing every citizen safe with the assistance of his gang.

"Then shall we?" She asked, with a crooked grin.

He gave a crooked one in turn, "Yes. Let's. Onward to a new life." Soon after his response, she grabbed his hand tightly and led him straight to the train to jump onto.

As they hopped right on, it felt somewhat like deja vu. He was a bit amused that he was asked the same thing that he asked her before, and he has never been happier to continue their lives together.

Once they hopped on, Evie glanced over at him with slight blush on her face, having slight difficulty to bring up a very serious topic, "Well, seeing as to how I can bear children, you don't suppose..."

"Now, Evie... one step at a time." He chuckled faintly, placing his hands on her hips to pull her towards him.

"I know... but still..." She looked up at him, wrapping her hands around the back of his neck, "If it comes to having a child, I would love nothing more than to have a child with you." She inched her lips closer to his, "You are the only man I'd love to create a family with. Because I love only you, Mr. Jacob Frye."

"As I love only you as well, _Mrs._ Evelyn Frye." He winked with a smirk before inching closer to meet her lips with his.

Evie's face turned bright red once she heard that one word she never expected to hear as her lips met his. As she felt his warmth, her skin color went back to normal as they both smiled in their kiss. There were hard moments in life and they knew more obstacles will be in their way as time passes by, but they both knew they will overcome anything as their life continues onward with the love they have strengthened.

 _I love only you..._ they both said in the depths of their hearts as their love continued to grow.

 _ **Writer's Note**_ : As I stated before, I suck at endings, so my apologies readers. Well, thank you to those who have stuck around to read my oddly fanfic and I hope it was bearable. Anyway, there is a possibility of what happens AFTER their endings, but it's just a thought, not a "promise." Well, until then readers... Until then...


	21. Awkward

Shaun and Rebecca cleared their throats, fanning themselves with the collar of their shirts, looking away from each other. Awkwardness filled the air once finding out more of the past. Neither knew how to react let alone respond what they just witnessed. They both knew it was all in the past, and yet it made them question on what happened further. Curiosity continuously grew, but they knew they had to save it for another time seeing as to how they still had to focus on their main objective.

"Um... well, seeing... seeing as to how we have what is needed... let's..." Shaun hit his chest gently, clearing his throat, "Let's move onward, alright?" He laughed awkwardly at Rebecca.

"Y-Yeah... Definitely!" Her voice cracked which made her clear her throat instantly, "Let's focus on... on our main objective!" She rushed passed him, having difficulty to make eye contact with him.

The two did not know how to take what was seen. Should they feel disgusted? Should they feel concerned? How should they feel to what they saw? All they could feel as the time went onward was nothing, but awkwardness. They continuously felt uneasy as their mind boggled with questions. The two were left with questions they felt did not have full on answers. A part of them wanted to go further down the line, but they felt it would just get more awkward.

"Well, I guess that's what it means when _curiosity killed the cat_." Shaun laughed awkwardly, now feeling stupid.

"Let's... let's just not speak of this again, okay? We have enough info we need. We don't need to go any further." Rebecca looked over, trying to keep her mind cleared from what was shown to them.

"R-Right... just between you and I." Shaun nodded his head quickly, trying and hoping to erase the past from his mind, "Never speak of this again... _EVER_!"

The two nodded with agreement, trying to erase the past from their mind and trying to clear the air to rid the dreadful awkwardness they suffered through with half of the day.

 _ **Writer's Note:**_ Alright, I don't fully know this franchise let alone all the characters, but for my slight amusement, I wanted to write this. Awkwardness can be quite amusing. That's only if you're not involved in it that is... Lol Well, until then readers...


End file.
